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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
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: cabinet · safe · tube · dip · press · tear · game · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. tear — from crying
  5. press — a publisher
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. dip — to sink
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. press — to push
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. press — newspapers

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