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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: ruler · plane · bulb · coach · charge · cell · club · drill

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. drill — army training
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. club — for golf
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. club — for dancing
  12. charge — a price
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. drill — a practice
  18. cell — a phone
  19. plane — a tool
  20. charge — in control
  21. club — a group
  22. cell — in biology
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cell — in a prison

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