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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 116 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: wind · tube · lean · key · straw · rock · charge · object

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. tube — a container
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rock — a stone
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rock — music
  7. object — an aim
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lean — thin
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. key — in music
  14. tube — the underground
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. key — the most important part
  17. object — a thing
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. lean — to bend
  22. object — to protest
  23. wind — moving air
  24. straw — a straw man

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