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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rash — hasty
  3. plane — a tool
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. shower — rain
  8. scale — size or range
  9. lean — thin
  10. scale — in music
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lean — to bend
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. fine — all right
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. shower — to wash
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rash — a series
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fine — high quality

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