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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. object — an aim
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. object — a thing
  7. root — the cause
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bound — certain
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. object — to protest
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. root — of a plant
  15. tube — a container
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rule — government
  21. root — of a word
  22. rule — a law
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. calf — a young animal

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