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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 120 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 · rock · ground · bear · lean · clip · tube · cue

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lean — thin
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tube — a container
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rock — a stone
  14. ground — the earth
  15. cue — a hint
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rock — music
  20. cue — for pool
  21. clip — a video
  22. cue — a signal
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ground — crushed

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