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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: plane · spell · bound · tube · jam · wind · spring · chip

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bound — obliged
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. tube — a container
  6. wind — moving air
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bound — tied together
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. chip — for betting
  11. tube — the underground
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. spring — of water
  15. spell — letters
  16. wind — moving air
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bound — certain
  21. chip — to eat
  22. spell — a short time
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. plane — a tool

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