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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.

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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stock — goods
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. charge — a price
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. tube — a container
  12. clip — to cut
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. clip — a video
  16. charge — in control
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. clip — for paper
  20. stock — shares
  21. tube — the underground
  22. press — to push
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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