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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: land · date · charge · lean · plane · race · pop · stick

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. land — a country
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pop — music
  5. date — the fruit
  6. lean — thin
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. race — humankind
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. land — to come down
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pop — to visit
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pop — soda
  22. charge — a price
  23. land — ground
  24. date — on the calendar

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