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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tube — the underground
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. squash — to crush
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. squash — the sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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