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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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468
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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. root — the cause
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. prune — to trim
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mine — for digging
  13. charge — in control
  14. plane — a tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. kick — in football
  17. charge — a price
  18. root — of a word
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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