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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. charge — in control
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. face — part of the head
  5. cap — a lid
  6. charge — electricity
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cell — in biology
  9. rock — music
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rock — a stone
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. face — to confront
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cap — of ice
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cell — a phone
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. branch — a division
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. charge — a price
  23. cap — a hat
  24. face — to point toward

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