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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. scale — size or range
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. charge — a price
  9. ball — a dance
  10. charge — in control
  11. scale — in music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bat — the animal
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. charge — electricity
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ball — a great time
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. plane — a tool

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