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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. row — a line
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. cap — a lid
  8. clip — to cut
  9. cap — of ice
  10. spell — magic
  11. clip — a video
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rush — hurry
  18. spell — letters
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cap — a hat
  23. charge — in control
  24. clip — for paper

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