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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. spring — the season
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spring — of water
  12. tube — a container
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tube — the underground
  16. roll — a list
  17. wake — a trail
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. charge — a price
  20. lie — to recline
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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