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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. tube — the underground
  3. key — in music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lie — to recline
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. club — for golf
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. charge — a price
  15. bore — to tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — for a lock
  20. club — for dancing
  21. charge — in control
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. club — a group

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