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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: plane · face · mug · fan · scale · rule · charge · hide

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mug — a face
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rule — government
  16. plane — a tool
  17. charge — in control
  18. mug — a cup
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rule — a law
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. charge — a price
  24. mug — to rob

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