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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.

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: tube · charge · roll · ruler · spell · chest · rush · pitcher

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. roll — a list
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spell — a short time
  7. tube — a container
  8. spell — magic
  9. chest — of your body
  10. tube — the underground
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. spell — letters
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. rush — a thrill

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