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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: bark · rock · spring · saw · mark · wave · ball · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. spring — the season
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spring — a coil
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ball — a great time
  14. tube — a container
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mark — a grade
  19. spring — of water
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bark — to shout
  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