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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. key — the most important part
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. charge — in control
  6. court — of a king
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. court — for sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. charge — electricity
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mine — for digging
  18. court — of law
  19. key — in music
  20. charge — a price
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. key — for a lock
  24. tube — the underground

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