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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 124 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. race — a contest
  4. charge — a price
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rule — a law
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. content — happy
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bore — to tire
  13. race — humankind
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. charge — in control
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. rule — government
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. charge — electricity
  21. content — the amount
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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