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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.

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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: cap · charge · band · lean · mouse · can · racket · plane

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. charge — electricity
  4. can — a tin
  5. band — a music group
  6. can — a tin
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. can — to be able to
  9. band — a ring
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. plane — a tool
  13. charge — a price
  14. lean — thin
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cap — a hat
  23. charge — in control
  24. cap — a lid

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