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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.

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: tube · spring · calf · craft · cue · band · object · cell

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. object — to protest
  3. cue — a signal
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. craft — a skill
  8. band — a music group
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. tube — a container
  13. cell — a phone
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. tube — the underground
  21. band — a ring
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. spring — the season

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