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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.

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: net · spell · bound · plane · charge · tube · shower · wave

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bound — tied together
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bound — certain
  7. charge — a price
  8. shower — to wash
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. charge — electricity
  11. net — in sport
  12. tube — a container
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bound — obliged
  15. shower — rain
  16. spell — magic
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. plane — a tool
  19. net — after costs
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. net — for catching
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. charge — in control

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