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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pitch — completely
  4. chest — a box
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. charge — a price
  8. rule — government
  9. plane — a tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. chest — of your body
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. charge — in control
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. can — a tin
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. can — to be able to
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. rule — a law

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