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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. charge — a price
  5. file — a line of people
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. charge — electricity
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. charge — in control
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. file — a tool
  16. plane — a tool
  17. track — a path
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. file — a document
  20. track — a song
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. scale — in music
  23. track — to keep track
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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