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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — a list
  3. rash — a series
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. charge — in control
  9. rash — hasty
  10. can — to be able to
  11. tube — the underground
  12. rush — hurry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. content — the amount
  15. can — a tin
  16. tube — a container
  17. charge — electricity
  18. content — happy
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. plane — a tool
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. can — a tin
  24. charge — a price

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