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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mine — for digging
  4. tube — the underground
  5. spring — a coil
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. spring — of water
  8. key — for a lock
  9. charge — a price
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. squash — the sport
  13. key — the most important part
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. tube — a container
  20. key — in music
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. spring — the season
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. charge — electricity

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