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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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. swing — to play on
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. bank — of a river
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wax — to grow
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ground — a position
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. plane — a tool
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bat — the animal
  17. swing — in golf
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bank — for money
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. swing — music
  24. bat — in an idiom

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