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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. charge — in control
  3. present — the time now
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. present — a gift
  7. staff — a stick
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. staff — employees
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. staff — employees
  14. tube — the underground
  15. present — there
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. firm — steady
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. charge — a price
  20. game — wild animals
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. game — a match
  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