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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: hand · bass · snap · key · bore · lie · tube · charge

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. tube — a container
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. charge — in control
  8. bore — to tire
  9. lie — to recline
  10. snap — to click
  11. key — in music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. charge — a price
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. hand — in cards
  18. key — the most important part
  19. charge — electricity
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bore — to drill
  22. hand — help
  23. lie — an untruth
  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