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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: sharp · mug · face · tube · fine · charge · lie · bass

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. tube — the underground
  3. sharp — clever
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fine — all right
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mug — a face
  11. charge — in control
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mug — to rob
  15. tube — a container
  16. mug — a cup
  17. charge — a price
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bass — the fish

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