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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: plane · tube · charge · straw · can · mark · wind · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mark — a grade
  3. tube — a container
  4. can — to be able to
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. charge — in control
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. can — a tin
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. mark — a trace
  21. can — a tin
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mark — to pay attention

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