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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: suit · wound · track · shower · firm · plane · club · charge

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. track — to keep track
  4. club — for dancing
  5. suit — clothes
  6. track — a path
  7. club — a group
  8. plane — a tool
  9. firm — a company
  10. shower — to wash
  11. firm — steady
  12. suit — to fit
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. track — a song
  15. club — for golf
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. wound — an injury
  19. shower — rain
  20. charge — a price
  21. firm — decided
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. suit — in cards

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