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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. tube — the underground
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. track — a song
  5. tube — a container
  6. current — of water
  7. face — to point toward
  8. track — to keep track
  9. charge — electricity
  10. current — electric
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. current — happening now
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. toast — bread
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. rash — a series
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rash — hasty
  20. track — a path
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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