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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. band — a ring
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. chest — a box
  8. club — for dancing
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. plane — a tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. charge — in control
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. chest — of your body
  16. band — a music group
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. club — for golf
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. club — a group
  23. foot — a measure
  24. chest — of your body

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