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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. board — a committee
  3. charge — electricity
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. fork — in a road
  8. game — a match
  9. kid — child
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. game — wild animals
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. sharp — clever
  23. board — to get on
  24. kid — to tease

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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