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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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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: spring · tube · stem · pitcher · fall · bear · suit · cue

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fall — the season
  4. tube — a container
  5. spring — the season
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. suit — to fit
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. spring — of water
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cue — for pool
  20. spring — a coil
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stem — to come from
  24. tube — the underground

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