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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tear · nail · charge · suit · hide · tube · fork · scale

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. tear — to rip
  6. suit — to fit
  7. scale — in music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. charge — electricity
  10. tube — the underground
  11. suit — in cards
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. charge — in control
  16. scale — size or range
  17. tear — from crying
  18. suit — clothes
  19. charge — a price
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. tear — from crying
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. fork — in a road
  24. hide — to keep secret

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