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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 116 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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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: tear · charge · plane · chair · saw · last · pound · key

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. last — finally
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. plane — a tool
  5. key — for a lock
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. last — final
  9. chair — a leader
  10. key — in music
  11. charge — in control
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tear — from crying
  14. charge — electricity
  15. tear — from crying
  16. last — to go on
  17. pound — a weight
  18. saw — the tool
  19. charge — a price
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. key — the most important part

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