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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. charge — a price
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fall — to drop
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. charge — in control
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rock — music
  12. fall — the season
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mate — to breed
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. plane — a tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mate — a partner
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rock — a stone
  22. charge — electricity
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com