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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stem — to come from
  19. game — a match
  20. rest — what's left
  21. land — a country
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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