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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.

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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. tube — a container
  3. staff — employees
  4. charge — a price
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — a path
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. track — a song
  10. charge — in control
  11. tube — the underground
  12. branch — a division
  13. staff — employees
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. charge — electricity
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. track — to keep track

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