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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: rock · saw · spring · tube · prune · lean · key · wake

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. key — in music
  6. lean — thin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. saw — the tool
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rock — a stone
  13. tube — a container
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wake — a trail
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rock — music
  22. lean — to bend
  23. prune — to trim
  24. spring — the season

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