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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. object — an aim
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. tube — a container
  5. charge — in control
  6. swing — music
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. charge — a price
  10. present — a gift
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. staff — employees
  13. degree — temperature
  14. lie — to recline
  15. staff — employees
  16. present — the time now
  17. degree — an amount
  18. swing — to play on
  19. charge — electricity
  20. staff — a stick
  21. swing — in golf
  22. degree — from a university
  23. present — there
  24. tube — in a tire

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