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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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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: row · pop · tube · current · wake · prune · safe · cap

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cap — a hat
  3. current — happening now
  4. wake — a trail
  5. prune — to trim
  6. tube — the underground
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. pop — music
  11. row — to paddle
  12. tube — a container
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pop — soda
  18. current — of water
  19. cap — of ice
  20. current — electric
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pop — to visit

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