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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.

Words on the sheet
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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cue — a hint
  3. tube — a container
  4. fall — to drop
  5. field — a subject
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. field — for sport
  8. current — happening now
  9. charge — a price
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fall — the season
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. cue — for pool
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. fall — to drop
  20. field — farmland
  21. mine — for digging
  22. cue — a signal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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