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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.

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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: can · charge · swing · bear · wound · sharp · plane · content

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. swing — music
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. can — to be able to
  9. content — the amount
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bear — the animal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. swing — in golf
  22. content — happy
  23. can — a tin
  24. swing — to play on

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