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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. saw — the tool
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. plane — a tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. saw — the tool
  12. toast — bread
  13. bat — the animal
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. charge — electricity
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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