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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. roll — a cake
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. charge — in control
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mate — to breed
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. land — a country
  16. bear — the animal
  17. charge — a price
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mate — a partner
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mate — a friend
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. charge — electricity

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