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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
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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: tube · charge · spell · wave · stick · mine · straw · stem

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mine — for digging
  4. charge — electricity
  5. spell — magic
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. charge — a price
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stem — to come from
  23. spell — letters
  24. mine — an explosive

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