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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 120 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
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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: plane · face · bowl · charge · race · drill · mug · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mug — a face
  4. charge — in control
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mug — a cup
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. face — to confront
  13. charge — a price
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. face — to point toward
  22. drill — the tool
  23. face — part of the head
  24. race — a contest

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