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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
468
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 · tube · mug · racket · band · suit · kick · bear

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. spring — the season
  3. suit — clothes
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mug — a face
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bear — the animal
  11. suit — in cards
  12. spring — a coil
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spring — of water
  16. tube — a container
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tube — the underground
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mug — to rob
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. band — a ring
  23. mug — a cup
  24. suit — to fit

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