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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: stock · press · charge · trunk · wax · tube · plane · mine

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. tube — the underground
  4. charge — in control
  5. mine — for digging
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. tube — a container
  9. stock — goods
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stock — shares
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. charge — a price
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. charge — electricity
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. press — to push
  24. trunk — of a tree

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