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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: chest · mark · jam · charge · plane · mine · lash · ball

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. charge — electricity
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. chest — of your body
  7. charge — a price
  8. mark — a trace
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. chest — a box
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ball — a dance
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. charge — in control
  21. mark — a grade
  22. plane — a tool
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mark — to pay attention

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