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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.

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: bay · ground · plane · wound · field · charge · rest · fan

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. charge — a price
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ground — a position
  7. field — for sport
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. charge — in control
  10. field — farmland
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. ground — crushed
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. charge — electricity
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. field — a subject
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ground — the earth

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