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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. band — a music group
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. foot — a measure
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. firm — a company
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. lean — thin
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. tube — a container
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stem — to come from
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. firm — steady
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. band — a ring
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. lean — to bend
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. tube — the underground

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