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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 124 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. charge — a price
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. charge — in control
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. charge — electricity
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bark — to shout
  11. track — a song
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lean — thin
  22. track — a path
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. track — to keep track

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