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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. club — for dancing
  10. band — a ring
  11. club — for golf
  12. tube — a container
  13. board — a committee
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. tube — the underground
  19. lie — to recline
  20. club — a group
  21. band — a music group
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — to get on
  24. stem — to come from

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