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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 116 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: lean · stick · tube · lie · mark · clip · bound · charge

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. clip — for paper
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. clip — to cut
  9. tube — a container
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bound — tied together
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bound — certain
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bound — obliged
  19. charge — electricity
  20. clip — a video
  21. charge — in control
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. charge — a price

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