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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ground — the earth
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. drill — the tool
  10. charge — in control
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. drill — a practice
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. drill — army training
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. ground — a position
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. charge — electricity
  24. ground — crushed

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