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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 116 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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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: craft · tube · safe · prune · spring · bear

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. prune — to trim
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bear — the animal
  7. craft — boats
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. craft — a skill
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tube — a container
  18. safe — a strongbox

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