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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. land — to come down
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. charge — in control
  7. mark — a trace
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. plane — a tool
  11. charge — a price
  12. land — a country
  13. pop — music
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. squash — to crush
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mark — a grade
  18. hand — help
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. land — ground
  24. hand — in cards

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