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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. charge — in control
  7. spell — magic
  8. charge — a price
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. saw — the tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. spell — a short time
  20. snap — to click
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. spell — letters
  24. saw — the tool

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