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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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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: track · charge · tube · dip · snap · spring · fall · leaves

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. tube — the underground
  5. charge — in control
  6. snap — to click
  7. track — to keep track
  8. spring — of water
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. charge — a price
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. spring — the season
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fall — to drop
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. leaves — to go away

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