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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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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: deal · rash · plane · land · rush · charge · mark · cap

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. land — a country
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rush — hurry
  13. charge — electricity
  14. land — ground
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cap — of ice
  18. plane — a tool
  19. charge — in control
  20. cap — a lid
  21. land — to come down
  22. mark — a grade
  23. charge — a price
  24. rush — a thrill

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