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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. charge — in control
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bank — for money
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fall — the season
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bound — certain
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cue — a signal
  11. charge — a price
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. charge — electricity
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bank — for money
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cue — for pool
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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