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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. tear — from crying
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. charge — electricity
  5. spring — of water
  6. tear — from crying
  7. board — a committee
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. board — to get on
  12. tear — to rip
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. plane — a tool
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. charge — in control
  17. present — the time now
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. present — there
  21. charge — a price
  22. net — after costs
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. present — a gift

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