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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pop — music
  7. face — to confront
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bank — for money
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bank — of a river
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pop — soda

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