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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. charge — in control
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. charge — a price
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. clip — for paper
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. spell — letters
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. plane — a tool
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. face — to point toward
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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