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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. charge — a price
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pop — music
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. charge — electricity
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wound — an injury
  10. field — for sport
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pop — soda
  13. wound — an injury
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. field — a subject
  16. dip — to sink
  17. toast — bread
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pop — to visit
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. field — farmland
  24. charge — in control

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