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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. charge — in control
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mate — a friend
  6. charge — a price
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. board — a committee
  12. bass — low music
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. board — to get on
  15. bass — the fish
  16. charge — electricity
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. rash — a series

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