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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rush — hurry
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. tube — a container
  6. charge — in control
  7. cue — for pool
  8. present — a gift
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cue — a signal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cell — a phone
  15. present — the time now
  16. charge — electricity
  17. present — there
  18. charge — a price
  19. cell — in biology
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cue — a hint

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