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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. plane — a tool
  4. key — in music
  5. hand — help
  6. key — for a lock
  7. charge — a price
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. charge — electricity
  10. row — a line
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. key — the most important part
  15. hand — in cards
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. row — to paddle
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rush — hurry
  24. temple — a place of worship

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