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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · mouse · charge · date · degree · lie · rash · cue

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rash — a series
  3. degree — an amount
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rash — hasty
  6. tube — a container
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. charge — in control
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. charge — a price
  11. degree — from a university
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. date — the fruit
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lie — to recline
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. degree — temperature
  22. cue — a signal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. tube — in a tire

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