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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: tube · bulb · trunk · season · bore · hide · pitcher · present

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. present — there
  24. tube — a container

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