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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ground — a position
  5. wound — an injury
  6. charge — in control
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lean — thin
  9. plane — a tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. game — a match
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. can — to be able to
  15. ground — crushed
  16. track — a path
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. charge — a price
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. can — a tin
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lean — to bend
  23. track — a song
  24. wound — an injury

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