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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 120 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: mouse · charge · tube · lean · coach · bore · stick · cell

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bore — to tire
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. charge — in control
  11. lean — thin
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. charge — a price
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. charge — electricity
  19. cell — in biology
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cell — a phone
  22. tube — a container
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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