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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: wake · plane · race · mark · spring · tube · dip · pitcher

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. spring — a coil
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. spring — the season
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. dip — to sink
  14. tube — a container
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. spring — of water
  17. race — the arms race
  18. tube — the underground
  19. race — humankind
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. race — a contest

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