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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 120 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: wave · tube · can · prune · spring · ball · kick · rock

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. spring — the season
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. prune — to trim
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. tube — a container
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. can — a tin
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spring — of water
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rock — a stone
  23. can — a tin
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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