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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: tube · spring · calf · craft · cue · band

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cue — for pool
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. craft — boats
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. tube — a container
  15. cue — a signal
  16. band — a ring
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. spring — of water

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