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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitch · wake · snap · object · spring · trunk · safe · tube

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. spring — a coil
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. tube — a container
  13. spring — of water
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. object — to protest
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. object — an aim
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spring — the season
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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