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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · fan · present · jam · file · charge · content · chest

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. file — a tool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. plane — a tool
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. content — the amount
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. present — a gift
  12. file — a document
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. charge — electricity
  15. file — a line of people
  16. charge — a price
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. present — the time now
  20. charge — in control
  21. chest — of your body
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. chest — a box
  24. present — there

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