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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 116 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. board — a committee
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wound — an injury
  12. charge — in control
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stem — to come from
  15. charge — a price
  16. board — to get on
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rash — a series
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rash — hasty
  24. plane — a tool

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