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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: spring · trunk · bank · pitch · dip · bear · wave · tube

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. spring — of water
  3. bank — for money
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bank — for money
  6. spring — the season
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bank — of a river
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitch — completely
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bear — the animal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. dip — to dunk

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