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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. roll — a list
  3. wind — moving air
  4. firm — a company
  5. charge — in control
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. firm — decided
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. charge — a price
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wind — moving air
  18. firm — steady
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bulb — for light
  21. charge — electricity
  22. roll — a cake
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. chip — to eat

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