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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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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: stand · season · lean · trunk · tube · scale · mark · spring

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lean — to bend
  3. spring — of water
  4. lean — thin
  5. stand — to bear
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. spring — a coil
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. scale — size or range
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mark — a grade
  16. season — of the year
  17. tube — the underground
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. spring — the season
  20. scale — in music
  21. tube — a container
  22. season — in sport
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mark — a trace

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