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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. spring — the season
  3. stand — to bear
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. plane — a tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. spring — of water
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tube — a container
  12. spring — a coil
  13. suit — clothes
  14. roll — a list
  15. suit — in cards
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tube — the underground
  20. roll — a cake
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. stand — for spectators

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