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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. sharp — clever
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. last — to go on
  8. pop — soda
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. tube — a container
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fine — all right
  15. pop — to visit
  16. tube — the underground
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. last — final
  20. bear — the animal
  21. last — finally
  22. pop — music
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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