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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: stick · spring · bass · last · mug · bore · charge · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mug — to rob
  3. charge — a price
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. last — to go on
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bass — low music
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. spring — a coil
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bore — to drill
  17. charge — in control
  18. spring — of water
  19. mug — a face
  20. spring — the season
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mug — a cup

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