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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: spring · scale · dip · rock · trunk · cell · tube · cue

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. spring — the season
  5. rock — a stone
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cue — for pool
  10. spring — a coil
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rock — music
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cell — in biology
  20. spring — of water
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. scale — in music
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. dip — a sauce

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