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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 120 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. charge — electricity
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. file — a line of people
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wax — to grow
  8. lean — to bend
  9. charge — in control
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. file — a document
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. lean — thin
  19. bulb — for light
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. charge — a price

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