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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. degree — temperature
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pit — in a race
  9. staff — employees
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. staff — employees
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pit — a hole
  14. degree — from a university
  15. saw — the tool
  16. charge — a price
  17. staff — a stick
  18. degree — an amount
  19. charge — in control
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. charge — electricity
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wind — moving air
  24. hide — to keep secret

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