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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: mine · wave · charge · snap · kick · tube · spell · cap

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cap — a lid
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cap — a hat
  8. spell — magic
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cap — of ice
  11. tube — a container
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. charge — a price
  16. mine — for digging
  17. charge — in control
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. kick — in football
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. snap — to click

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