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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 112 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. tube — the underground
  6. staff — employees
  7. fall — the season
  8. fine — all right
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. charge — in control
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. face — to confront
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fine — high quality
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bowl — a football final

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