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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: can · trunk · staff · mate · spell · tube · coach · dip

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. can — a tin
  4. mate — a partner
  5. dip — to sink
  6. tube — the underground
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mate — a friend
  9. spell — letters
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. staff — employees
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. staff — employees
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. staff — a stick
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. can — to be able to
  21. tube — a container
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mate — to breed
  24. trunk — of a tree

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