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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. spring — the season
  7. key — the most important part
  8. spring — of water
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. tube — a container
  14. spring — a coil
  15. key — in music
  16. date — the fruit
  17. key — for a lock
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stand — on your feet
  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