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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. kid — to tease
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lean — thin
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lean — to bend
  13. charge — electricity
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. charge — a price
  17. bass — low music
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. charge — in control
  24. kid — child

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