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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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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: mate · jam · trunk · tube · race · date · stick · wave

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. race — humankind
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. race — a contest
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mate — a friend
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. race — the arms race
  12. tube — a container
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. mate — a partner
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mate — to breed

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