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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: clip · stock · season · charge · plane · wax · game · stick

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. clip — a video
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stock — shares
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. season — in sport
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wax — to grow
  17. stock — goods
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. season — of the year
  23. game — a match
  24. charge — a price

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