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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 120 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: stand · snap · present · tube · bank · trunk · root · mouse

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. present — the time now
  8. root — the cause
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bank — for money
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. root — of a plant
  14. tube — the underground
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bank — of a river
  19. root — of a word
  20. bank — for money
  21. tube — a container
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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