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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. tube — the underground
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. club — for golf
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tube — a container
  9. club — a group
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bore — to tire
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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