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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
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: present · tube · lie · fall · safe · board · charge · bass

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fall — the season
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fall — to drop
  6. tube — a container
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bass — low music
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fall — to drop
  13. present — the time now
  14. board — a committee
  15. present — there
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tube — the underground
  18. charge — a price
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bass — the fish
  22. present — a gift
  23. charge — in control
  24. bass — the instrument

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