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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
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: track · plane · bass · prune · tube · charge · lie · shower

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. track — a song
  3. bass — low music
  4. prune — to trim
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. charge — a price
  7. track — a path
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. shower — rain
  10. track — to keep track
  11. prune — to trim
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. charge — in control
  15. tube — a container
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bass — the fish
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. shower — to wash
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lie — to recline
  24. prune — the fruit

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