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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: tube · charge · bowl · safe · hand · trunk · dip · squash

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. squash — the sport
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. tube — the underground
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. tube — a container
  13. dip — to sink
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. squash — to crush
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. tube — in a tire

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