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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. court — of law
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bat — the animal
  9. court — of a king
  10. charge — in control
  11. pop — soda
  12. cell — a phone
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pop — music
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. charge — electricity
  19. court — for sport
  20. charge — a price
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. hand — help

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