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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.

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: fork · land · drill · bear · hand · swing · charge · tube

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. swing — music
  3. tube — a container
  4. charge — in control
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hand — help
  8. bear — the animal
  9. charge — electricity
  10. drill — the tool
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fork — in a road
  13. swing — to play on
  14. charge — a price
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. drill — a practice
  17. land — a country
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. drill — army training
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. hand — part of the body

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