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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. charge — a price
  3. mug — a cup
  4. lean — thin
  5. mate — to breed
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mug — a face
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. present — there
  11. mug — to rob
  12. present — the time now
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mate — a friend
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. charge — in control
  18. tube — the underground
  19. dip — to sink
  20. tube — a container
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lean — to bend
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mate — a partner

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