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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 116 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rest — a break
  6. charge — a price
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. charge — electricity
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. band — a music group
  19. charge — in control
  20. rest — what's left
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rest — what's left
  23. band — a ring
  24. trunk — of a car

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