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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. squash — to crush
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mug — a cup
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wound — an injury
  13. face — to confront
  14. charge — in control
  15. face — to point toward
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mate — a friend
  19. squash — the sport
  20. face — part of the head
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wound — an injury
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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