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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. charge — a price
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. date — the fruit
  7. march — the month
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. march — music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. march — the month
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. plane — a tool

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