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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: net · mug · plane · spring · board · mate · charge · squash

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. spring — a coil
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — a friend
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. charge — electricity
  8. net — in sport
  9. board — to get on
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. spring — the season
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. board — a committee
  14. mug — a cup
  15. charge — a price
  16. spring — of water
  17. mate — to breed
  18. net — for catching
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. charge — in control
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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