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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mug — a face
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mug — a cup
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. land — to come down
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mug — to rob
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. snap — to click
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tube — the underground
  20. land — ground
  21. rest — a break
  22. tube — a container
  23. charge — in control
  24. land — a country

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