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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. tube — the underground
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. sharp — clever
  7. can — a tin
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. staff — a stick
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. charge — electricity
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. land — ground
  19. staff — employees
  20. can — to be able to
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. tube — a container
  24. can — a tin

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