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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 116 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: ball · charge · bat · hand · fine · spring · plane · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. charge — in control
  4. object — to protest
  5. ball — a great time
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bat — the animal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. spring — the season
  12. object — a thing
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. charge — a price
  17. spring — a coil
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. spring — of water
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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