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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: wound · trunk · firm · tube · content · craft · wind · rush

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wind — moving air
  6. content — the amount
  7. firm — a company
  8. craft — boats
  9. wound — an injury
  10. tube — a container
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wound — an injury
  16. firm — decided
  17. craft — a skill
  18. firm — steady
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tube — the underground
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. content — happy

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