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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.

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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: lean · swing · hand · pitcher · plane · charge · net · last

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. hand — help
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. charge — electricity
  7. net — in sport
  8. hand — in cards
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. charge — in control
  12. last — to go on
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. swing — music
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. plane — a tool
  18. last — finally
  19. swing — to play on
  20. net — for catching
  21. charge — a price
  22. last — final
  23. net — after costs
  24. hand — part of the body

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