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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 120 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: can · wake · swing · tube · net · trunk · mine · hide

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. can — to be able to
  3. net — in sport
  4. mine — for digging
  5. swing — to play on
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. swing — music
  8. wake — a trail
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. net — after costs
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. net — for catching
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. swing — in golf
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. tube — in a tire

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