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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mate — to breed
  5. file — a tool
  6. race — a contest
  7. file — a document
  8. race — the arms race
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. plane — a tool
  14. charge — a price
  15. race — humankind
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mate — a friend
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. charge — in control
  23. file — a line of people
  24. nail — on a finger

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