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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.

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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 · stick · swing · ground · fall · fine · trunk · charge

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. charge — a price
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fine — high quality
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fine — all right
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. swing — in golf
  13. ground — a position
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. ground — the earth
  18. swing — music
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. swing — to play on
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. charge — in control
  24. ground — crushed

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