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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 · cue · suit · tube · spell · date · lean · craft

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lean — to bend
  5. craft — a skill
  6. spell — magic
  7. cue — a hint
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. tube — a container
  15. spell — letters
  16. craft — boats
  17. lean — thin
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cue — a signal
  20. suit — clothes
  21. cue — for pool
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. spell — a short time

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