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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 116 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: firm · staff · charge · plane · tear · cue · deal · board

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. firm — decided
  4. board — to get on
  5. plane — a tool
  6. board — a committee
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. firm — steady
  10. cue — for pool
  11. charge — in control
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. tear — from crying
  14. charge — electricity
  15. tear — to rip
  16. charge — a price
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cue — a signal
  20. firm — a company
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cue — a hint
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. deal — an agreement

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