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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. charge — in control
  3. plane — a tool
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. charge — a price
  9. fall — the season
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — for sport
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bat — the animal
  17. court — of law
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fall — to drop
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. charge — electricity

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