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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. tear — from crying
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. bore — to drill
  6. roll — a cake
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. bore — to tire
  12. snap — to click
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. plane — a tool
  15. tear — to rip
  16. fall — the season
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. charge — in control
  24. present — a gift

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