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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.

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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tear — from crying
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. tube — the underground
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bulb — for light
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. plane — a tool

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