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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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Word bank
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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. plane — a tool
  3. charge — in control
  4. clip — to cut
  5. staff — a stick
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. clip — for paper
  11. staff — employees
  12. march — the month
  13. squash — to crush
  14. march — music
  15. charge — a price
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. march — the month
  20. staff — employees
  21. rest — what's left
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. clip — a video
  24. charge — electricity

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