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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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. charge — in control
  6. key — for a lock
  7. tube — a container
  8. charge — electricity
  9. face — to point toward
  10. capital — a city
  11. charge — a price
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. capital — money
  16. key — the most important part
  17. face — part of the head
  18. tube — the underground
  19. key — in music
  20. lean — thin
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. face — to confront
  24. lean — to bend

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