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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. plane — a tool
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. tube — a container
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. tube — the underground
  14. can — a tin
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. charge — a price
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. perch — the fish
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. charge — in control

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