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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 116 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 all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. plane — a tool
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pit — in a race
  15. chair — a leader
  16. game — a match
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pit — a hole
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. plane — in geometry

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