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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. charge — a price
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lean — to bend
  7. kick — in football
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. charge — electricity
  11. land — a country
  12. chip — to eat
  13. charge — in control
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. land — ground
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. land — to come down
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lean — thin
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bat — the animal
  24. chip — in a computer

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