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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. chest — of your body
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. hand — help
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. key — for a lock
  16. charge — in control
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. last — to go on
  19. key — in music
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wake — a trail
  22. chest — a box
  23. hand — in cards
  24. chest — of your body

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