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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fall — to drop
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. staff — employees
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. charge — in control
  7. fall — the season
  8. staff — a stick
  9. tube — the underground
  10. plane — a tool
  11. tube — a container
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. fall — to drop
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. staff — employees
  18. spell — a short time
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. charge — a price
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. squash — the sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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