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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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468
Word bank
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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bass — low music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. season — of the year
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. charge — a price
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. object — to protest
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bass — the fish
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. object — an aim
  18. charge — in control
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. season — in sport
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. object — a thing

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