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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. charge — electricity
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. degree — an amount
  8. charge — a price
  9. bore — to drill
  10. charge — in control
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. land — ground
  13. land — a country
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. degree — temperature

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