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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. hand — help
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. plane — a tool
  9. charge — in control
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. charge — a price
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitch — completely
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bore — to tire
  24. hide — to keep secret

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