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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: cabinet · plane · mate · racket · board · charge · tear · can

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mate — to breed
  9. tear — from crying
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. plane — a tool
  12. tear — to rip
  13. can — to be able to
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. can — a tin
  16. charge — electricity
  17. board — a committee
  18. mate — a friend
  19. can — a tin
  20. tear — from crying
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. board — to get on
  24. mate — a partner

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