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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 116 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: mate · trunk · tube · cap · craft · bay · patient · scale

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cap — a lid
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. tube — the underground
  8. cap — of ice
  9. craft — boats
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cap — a hat
  12. tube — a container
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mate — a partner
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. scale — in music
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. craft — a handicraft

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