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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: fine · straw · charge · chip · roll · patient · fall · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. charge — a price
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chip — to eat
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. charge — electricity
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fine — all right
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fine — high quality
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. charge — in control
  24. roll — on a roll

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