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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 · bowl · current · plane · bass · lie · mine · wound

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bass — low music
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wound — an injury
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wound — an injury
  9. charge — a price
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. current — happening now
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. current — of water
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. current — electric
  24. mine — an explosive

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