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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: trunk · spring · land · deal · tube · shower · chair · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. shower — rain
  3. deal — to handle
  4. land — a country
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. chair — a leader
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pit — a hole
  16. tube — a container
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. spring — the season
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. shower — to wash
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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