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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mate — to breed
  5. firm — decided
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bulb — for light
  8. firm — steady
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. land — ground
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cell — in biology
  20. mark — a trace
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. cell — a phone
  24. firm — a company

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