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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.

Make a worksheet

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: charge · bat · lean · tube · fan · arm · pound · key

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. charge — electricity
  6. key — in music
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. charge — in control
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bat — the animal
  19. charge — a price
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. tube — a container
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lean — thin
  24. fan — to cool the air

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