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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. charge — a price
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rule — government
  5. chair — a leader
  6. charge — in control
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. charge — electricity
  9. face — to point toward
  10. plane — a tool
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rule — a law
  15. lean — thin
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. face — to confront
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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