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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 120 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: spring · plane · cabinet · court · suit · charge · wound · squash

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. spring — the season
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wound — an injury
  5. suit — clothes
  6. charge — a price
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. squash — the sport
  9. plane — a tool
  10. charge — in control
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. suit — to fit
  17. squash — to crush
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. court — for sport
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. court — of law
  23. wound — an injury
  24. court — of a king

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