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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · leaves · fall · file · pop · wake · tube · trunk

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. file — a tool
  6. fall — the season
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wake — a trail
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pop — soda
  13. file — a line of people
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. snap — to click
  18. file — a document
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pop — music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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