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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. charge — in control
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tube — the underground
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mate — a friend
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mate — to breed
  18. net — in sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. net — after costs
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. charge — a price
  23. mate — a partner
  24. net — for catching

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