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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. charge — a price
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. drill — the tool
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. content — happy
  12. lean — to bend
  13. charge — in control
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. drill — a practice
  16. tube — a container
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. capital — money
  20. tube — the underground
  21. charge — electricity
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. drill — army training
  24. capital — a city

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