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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: bear · tube · mouse · charge · straw · pop · firm · spell

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bear — the animal
  3. firm — steady
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. firm — decided
  7. charge — electricity
  8. spell — magic
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. charge — a price
  12. spell — letters
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pop — music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. spell — a short time
  21. firm — a company
  22. charge — in control
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pop — soda

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