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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. file — a tool
  5. mug — a face
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — the underground
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mug — to rob
  10. tube — a container
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. charge — electricity
  14. file — a line of people
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. charge — a price
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mug — a cup
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. charge — in control
  24. file — a document

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