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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: tube · trunk · toast · wake · lash · spring · fine · pit

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. spring — of water
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fine — high quality
  8. spring — the season
  9. fine — all right
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. toast — bread
  13. pit — in a race
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wake — a trail
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. tube — the underground
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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