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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · wind · plane · stick · charge · court

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. 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. charge — a price
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. court — for sport
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. cell — a phone
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cell — in biology
  18. 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