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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: date · bore · lean · file · pitcher · key · charge · tube

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. file — a line of people
  3. charge — a price
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bore — to drill
  9. tube — the underground
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bore — to tire
  13. lean — thin
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. file — a tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. tube — a container
  18. charge — in control
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. file — a document
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. date — the fruit

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