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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. charge — a price
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. charge — electricity
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. tube — a container
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. spell — magic
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. toast — bread
  19. charge — in control
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rush — to hurry

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