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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.

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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. tube — a container
  3. wound — an injury
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. prune — to trim
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bank — for money
  10. band — a ring
  11. tube — the underground
  12. band — a music group
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rock — music
  15. track — a song
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wound — an injury
  18. track — a path
  19. bank — for money
  20. rock — a stone
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rock — to move gently

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