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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 · wound · saw · can · board · straw · pop

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. can — a tin
  3. board — a committee
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. charge — a price
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wound — an injury
  10. can — a tin
  11. charge — in control
  12. saw — the tool
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. saw — the tool
  15. charge — electricity
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. board — to get on
  18. can — to be able to
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. plane — a tool
  24. straw — dry grass

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