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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. band — a music group
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. charge — electricity
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. charge — a price
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. charge — in control
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. court — for sport
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. chair — a leader
  18. court — of law
  19. band — a ring
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. court — of a king
  24. lie — an untruth

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