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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. charge — electricity
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. game — a match
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. can — a tin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. plane — a tool
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lean — thin
  16. land — a country
  17. wind — moving air
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. can — a tin
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. lean — to bend
  24. can — to be able to

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