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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: trunk · season · tube · suit · roll · leaves · sharp · shower

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. sharp — clever
  6. season — of the year
  7. shower — to wash
  8. suit — in cards
  9. tube — the underground
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. season — in sport
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. tube — a container
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. shower — rain
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. suit — clothes
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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