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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fork — in a road
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. club — for golf
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bore — to tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stem — to come from
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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