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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 120 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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cue — a hint
  6. tube — a container
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. last — finally
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stem — to come from
  14. last — final
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — to go on
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pass — a permit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pass — to succeed

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