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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 120 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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. charge — a price
  3. plane — a tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. squash — to crush
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — in control
  9. face — to confront
  10. charge — electricity
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chair — a leader
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. squash — the sport
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. drill — army training
  24. face — part of the head

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