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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 124 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: cap · key · stem · deal · object · trunk · tube · last

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cap — a lid
  3. key — the most important part
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. last — final
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cap — of ice
  8. last — to go on
  9. object — a thing
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. last — finally
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. object — an aim
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. object — to protest
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cap — a hat
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stem — to come from
  23. key — in music
  24. tube — a container

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