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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: plane · dip · charge · straw · wake · tube · spell · deal

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. plane — a tool
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. charge — electricity
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. tube — the underground
  12. charge — in control
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. deal — to handle
  17. charge — a price
  18. wake — a trail
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. spell — letters
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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