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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cold — not warm
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cold — an illness
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bass — low music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — a container
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mate — a friend
  20. charge — a price
  21. bass — the fish
  22. can — a tin
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bass — the instrument

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