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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 124 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — humankind
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. firm — a company
  8. date — the fruit
  9. tube — a container
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. charge — a price
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. tube — the underground
  14. drill — army training
  15. dip — to sink
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. charge — in control
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. date — on the calendar

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