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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: hide · spring · tube · swing · cue · bowl · scale · stem

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. spring — of water
  3. cue — a hint
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. swing — to play on
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. swing — in golf
  12. tube — a container
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cue — a signal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. spring — a coil
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. swing — music
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cue — for pool
  23. spring — the season
  24. bowl — a football final

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