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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: rest · tube · calf · pitcher · spring · leaves · bound · suit

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rest — a break
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. suit — in cards
  8. tube — a container
  9. spring — the season
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bound — certain
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. spring — a coil
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bound — tied together
  22. spring — of water
  23. suit — clothes
  24. calf — a young animal

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