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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: hand · tube · suit · band · dip · calf · trunk · swing

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. hand — in cards
  8. tube — a container
  9. swing — music
  10. dip — to sink
  11. tube — the underground
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. suit — in cards
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. band — a music group

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