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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: rock · foot · plane · wound · charge · hand · saw · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. charge — electricity
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. charge — in control
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rock — music
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. charge — a price
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rock — a stone
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ball — a dance
  18. plane — a tool
  19. foot — a measure
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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