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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
468
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: charge · stick · sharp · tube · trunk · rock · tear · bear

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. tear — to rip
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bear — the animal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bear — the animal
  11. charge — in control
  12. tube — the underground
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. tear — from crying
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. tear — from crying
  19. charge — a price
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rock — music
  24. tube — a container

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