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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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. bore — to tire
  4. current — of water
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bulb — for light
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. current — happening now
  12. charge — electricity
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. roll — a list
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. face — to confront
  21. charge — in control
  22. date — the fruit
  23. current — electric
  24. roll — on a roll

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