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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. shower — rain
  3. game — a match
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. game — wild animals
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. tube — a container
  9. charge — in control
  10. face — to point toward
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. face — part of the head
  14. tube — the underground
  15. shower — to wash
  16. face — to confront
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pop — to visit
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. charge — a price
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pop — music
  24. tube — in a tire

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