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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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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bound — certain
  3. charge — electricity
  4. staff — employees
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. charge — in control
  9. bound — tied together
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. plane — a tool
  13. tube — the underground
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. charge — a price
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bound — obliged
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. staff — employees
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. staff — a stick
  23. fall — the season
  24. sharp — clever

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