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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. kid — to tease
  3. charge — a price
  4. rock — a stone
  5. tube — a container
  6. pop — music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. scale — size or range
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rock — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. kid — child
  17. charge — in control
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rest — what's left
  20. charge — electricity
  21. scale — in music
  22. rest — a break
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rest — what's left

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