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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. spring — of water
  3. charge — electricity
  4. plane — a tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. lean — thin
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. lean — to bend
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. present — the time now
  15. spring — the season
  16. band — a music group
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitch — completely
  24. band — a ring

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