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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: charge · hide · plane · fine · chip · file · bowl · craft

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. chip — for betting
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. chip — to eat
  11. file — a document
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. file — a line of people
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. file — a tool
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. charge — in control
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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