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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: stick · tear · bat · wake · wave · pitcher · plane · charge

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. charge — in control
  4. plane — a tool
  5. charge — electricity
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. tear — to rip
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. charge — a price
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. plane — in geometry

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