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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. charge — a price
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. chip — to eat
  9. file — a document
  10. charge — in control
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rock — music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pass — a permit
  21. charge — electricity
  22. chip — for betting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. file — a tool

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