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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. charge — a price
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. wind — moving air
  7. face — to confront
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. face — to point toward
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. wind — moving air
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rash — on the skin

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