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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. charge — a price
  3. cap — of ice
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. land — to come down
  6. bank — for money
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bank — of a river
  10. land — a country
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. charge — in control
  14. snap — to click
  15. plane — a tool
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bank — for money
  18. land — ground
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. branch — a division
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. charge — electricity
  24. leaves — of a tree

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