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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rock — music
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. drill — army training
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. land — a country
  15. charge — in control
  16. drill — a practice
  17. land — to come down
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bear — the animal
  20. land — ground
  21. rock — a stone
  22. tube — a container
  23. charge — electricity
  24. drill — the tool

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