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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · charge · hand · safe · present · date · tube · bass

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. hand — help
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. tube — a container
  8. hand — in cards
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. date — the fruit
  14. charge — a price
  15. bass — the fish
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. charge — electricity
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bass — low music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. present — a gift
  23. charge — in control
  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