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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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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: file · tube · spell · trunk · dip · mate · rock · wake

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. spell — letters
  5. dip — to sink
  6. file — a tool
  7. mate — a partner
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. spell — a short time
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rock — music
  14. file — a document
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mate — to breed
  18. file — a line of people
  19. spell — magic
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rock — a stone
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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