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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mark — a grade
  3. charge — a price
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bat — the animal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mark — a trace
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. current — of water
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. snap — to click
  14. current — happening now
  15. mug — to rob
  16. tube — a container
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. current — electric
  22. charge — in control
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mug — a face

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