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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: tube · trunk · pop · charge · face · court · wax · row

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. row — a line
  3. pop — music
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. tube — the underground
  6. court — for sport
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pop — to visit
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. charge — in control
  11. pop — soda
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. face — to point toward
  16. row — to paddle
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. charge — a price
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wax — to grow
  24. row — a quarrel

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