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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: object · swing · bear · stem · bat · trunk · rush · tube

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. object — to protest
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. object — an aim
  7. swing — to play on
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. tube — the underground
  11. object — a thing
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. tube — a container

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