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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: wake · can · saw · tube · club · spring · track · plane

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. club — for golf
  6. wake — a trail
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. club — for dancing
  9. spring — of water
  10. saw — the tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. track — a song
  13. spring — a coil
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. track — a path
  17. can — a tin
  18. plane — a tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. track — to keep track
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. club — a group

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