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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. tube — a container
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bound — certain
  10. staff — a stick
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bound — tied together
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chest — a box
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rush — hurry
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. charge — electricity
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bound — obliged
  23. chest — of your body
  24. leaves — of a tree

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