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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: cap · tube · wind · root · rock · season · saw · plane

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. plane — a tool
  6. tube — a container
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wind — moving air
  9. season — of the year
  10. rock — a stone
  11. root — of a word
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cap — of ice
  17. season — in sport
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rock — music
  20. wind — moving air
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. cap — a hat
  24. plane — an aircraft

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