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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 · calf · jam · staff · season · plane · key · trunk

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. season — in sport
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. staff — employees
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. plane — a tool
  12. key — for a lock
  13. staff — employees
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. season — of the year
  16. tube — the underground
  17. key — in music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. key — the most important part
  22. tube — a container
  23. staff — a stick
  24. calf — a young animal

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