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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 116 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: wind · field · clip · cabinet · charge · key · plane · dip

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. charge — a price
  3. field — for sport
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. clip — for paper
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. charge — in control
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. key — in music
  16. charge — electricity
  17. dip — to sink
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. clip — a video
  20. field — farmland
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. key — for a lock
  24. cabinet — ministers

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