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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: cabinet · plane · charge · temple · bay · chip · prune · ground

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. prune — to trim
  5. charge — a price
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. ground — crushed
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. chip — for betting
  15. ground — a position
  16. charge — in control
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ground — the earth
  19. chip — to eat
  20. prune — to trim
  21. plane — a tool
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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