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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pop — to visit
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pop — music
  5. tube — the underground
  6. charge — electricity
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mug — a face
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. dip — to sink
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mug — a cup
  15. charge — in control
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pop — soda
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. stand — to bear
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. tube — a container
  24. dip — to dunk

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