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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.

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: spring · fan · arm · kick · squash · plane · charge · land

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. squash — to crush
  4. plane — a tool
  5. kick — in football
  6. spring — of water
  7. squash — the sport
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. land — a country
  10. charge — electricity
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. land — to come down
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. charge — a price
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. land — ground
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. kick — with a leg

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