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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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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: present · mine · stick · chest · charge · tube · row · swing

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. swing — in golf
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. present — the time now
  6. row — to paddle
  7. chest — of your body
  8. charge — a price
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. charge — in control
  11. chest — a box
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. swing — music
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chest — of your body
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. row — a line
  23. swing — to play on
  24. charge — electricity

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