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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. tube — the underground
  4. file — a line of people
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. lean — thin
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. content — happy
  15. content — the amount
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lean — to bend

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