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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 120 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 · kick · plane · wave · bulb · charge · saw · tear

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. court — of a king
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bulb — for light
  6. court — for sport
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. kick — in football
  9. charge — a price
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. charge — electricity
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. tear — to rip
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. court — of law
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bulb — for light
  21. charge — in control
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. saw — the tool

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