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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: spring · tube · squash · nail · craft · leaves · present · bulb

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. squash — the sport
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. squash — to crush
  6. present — the time now
  7. tube — a container
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. present — there
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bulb — for light
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. tube — the underground
  21. craft — boats
  22. present — a gift
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. spring — of water

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