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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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. trunk — of a tree
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. tube — a container
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. suit — clothes
  10. spell — letters
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spring — the season
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. spring — of water
  18. bore — to drill
  19. spring — a coil
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fall — to drop

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