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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 116 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: pop · tube · plane · saw · charge · mate · cap · object

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pop — soda
  4. charge — in control
  5. tube — a container
  6. plane — a tool
  7. object — to protest
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mate — a partner
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — an aim
  12. saw — the tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tube — the underground
  15. object — a thing
  16. pop — music
  17. cap — a hat
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. cap — a lid
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mate — a friend
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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