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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · cue · land · wind · pass · bear · can · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cue — a hint
  3. can — a tin
  4. wind — moving air
  5. land — ground
  6. bear — the animal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. land — to come down
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cue — a signal
  15. can — a tin
  16. tube — the underground
  17. land — a country
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wind — moving air
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bear — to put up with

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