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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. band — a music group
  9. charge — electricity
  10. file — a line of people
  11. firm — a company
  12. dip — to sink
  13. file — a document
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. firm — decided
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rush — hurry
  18. file — a tool
  19. band — a ring
  20. firm — steady
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. charge — in control
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mine — for digging

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