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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 120 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. charge — a price
  4. land — to come down
  5. bat — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pop — soda
  13. charge — electricity
  14. land — a country
  15. pop — to visit
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pop — music
  18. land — ground
  19. charge — in control
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hide — to keep secret

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