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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: charge · plane · content · kick · squash · ground · stock · lean

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. charge — in control
  3. kick — in football
  4. stock — shares
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. charge — a price
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. content — the amount
  12. ground — crushed
  13. lean — thin
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. content — happy
  16. charge — electricity
  17. ground — a position
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. lean — to bend
  21. ground — the earth
  22. squash — the sport
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. squash — to crush

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