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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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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: straw · cue · bore · net · charge · tube · object · shower

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. shower — rain
  3. charge — a price
  4. net — in sport
  5. shower — to wash
  6. tube — the underground
  7. charge — in control
  8. net — for catching
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. bore — to drill
  12. object — to protest
  13. charge — electricity
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bore — to tire
  18. net — after costs
  19. tube — a container
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cue — a signal
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. tube — in a tire

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