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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: tube · ball · key · rash · leaves · cap · wake · stem

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cap — of ice
  3. ball — a great time
  4. key — for a lock
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cap — a lid
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. tube — a container
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stem — to come from
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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