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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: spring · content · tube · wake · wave · nail · prune · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. spring — the season
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. content — happy
  12. wake — a trail
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mark — a trace
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. content — the amount
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. tube — a container
  21. spring — of water
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tube — the underground

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