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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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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: plane · charge · racket · kid · cabinet · rest · wound · nail

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. plane — a tool
  6. charge — in control
  7. kid — child
  8. charge — a price
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. charge — electricity
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rest — a break
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rest — what's left
  24. nail — for a hammer

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