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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 124 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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Word bank
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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mine — for digging
  3. can — a tin
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. key — in music
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. date — the fruit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chest — of your body
  17. charge — electricity
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. charge — in control
  22. can — to be able to
  23. charge — a price
  24. mine — belonging to me

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