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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: spring · kick · mark · band · row · can · cabinet · tube

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. can — a tin
  4. mark — a grade
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. row — a line
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. can — to be able to
  10. band — a music group
  11. tube — a container
  12. can — a tin
  13. band — a ring
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. kick — in football
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. spring — the season
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. row — to paddle
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mark — a trace

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