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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · roll · land · vault · tube · firm · charge · lean

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. lean — to bend
  5. firm — steady
  6. charge — electricity
  7. land — ground
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. firm — decided
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. roll — a cake
  12. hand — in cards
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. roll — a list
  16. hand — help
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. charge — in control
  19. lean — thin
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. charge — a price
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. firm — a company

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