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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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · jam · leaves · cold · charge · kick · staff · field

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. field — farmland
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. field — for sport
  7. charge — a price
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. cold — not warm
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. charge — electricity
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. kick — in football
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. charge — in control
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cold — an illness
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. staff — employees
  21. field — a subject
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. kick — with a leg

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