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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. roll — a list
  3. wind — moving air
  4. charge — in control
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. suit — in cards
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. hand — in cards
  10. band — a ring
  11. roll — a cake
  12. suit — clothes
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. band — a music group
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. hand — help
  19. wind — moving air
  20. suit — to fit
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. charge — a price
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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