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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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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rest — a break
  3. rush — hurry
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. charge — a price
  7. tube — a container
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rest — what's left
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rash — hasty
  17. content — the amount
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. content — happy
  20. rash — a series
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. charge — in control
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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