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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. object — to protest
  3. race — a contest
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. charge — electricity
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. current — of water
  9. charge — a price
  10. object — a thing
  11. plane — a tool
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. object — an aim
  18. charge — in control
  19. race — humankind
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. plane — an aircraft

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