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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: deal · trunk · content · rest · tube · degree · safe · charge

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. charge — in control
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. degree — from a university
  6. charge — a price
  7. rest — what's left
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. content — the amount
  11. degree — an amount
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rest — a break
  14. deal — to handle
  15. content — happy
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. degree — temperature
  18. tube — the underground
  19. charge — electricity
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. tube — a container
  24. safe — out of danger

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