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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. tube — the underground
  5. content — happy
  6. object — a thing
  7. tube — a container
  8. net — for catching
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. object — to protest
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. net — after costs
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. object — an aim
  19. net — in sport
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. content — the amount
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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