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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. plane — a tool
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. clip — a video
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. scale — in music
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. shower — to wash
  18. clip — to cut
  19. charge — in control
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. shower — rain
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. scale — size or range

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