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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: court · jam · charge · safe · rock · plane · band · wound

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wound — an injury
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. plane — a tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. rock — music
  7. band — a ring
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. charge — electricity
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. court — for sport
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. court — of law
  18. charge — a price
  19. band — a music group
  20. wound — an injury
  21. court — of a king
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. rock — a stone
  24. plane — in geometry

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