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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
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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: deal · plane · bank · charge · clip · wake · chair · mug

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mug — a face
  4. clip — a video
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. deal — to handle
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bank — of a river
  12. clip — for paper
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. charge — a price
  15. bank — for money
  16. clip — to cut
  17. chair — a leader
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bank — for money
  21. wake — a trail
  22. charge — in control
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. charge — electricity

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