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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: tube · bear · band · fall · spell · ground · suit · craft

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spell — magic
  3. ground — crushed
  4. tube — a container
  5. fall — the season
  6. spell — a short time
  7. craft — a skill
  8. tube — the underground
  9. ground — a position
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ground — the earth
  13. craft — boats
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fall — to drop
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bear — the animal
  24. spell — letters

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