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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. board — to get on
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bank — of a river
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. squash — the sport
  11. tube — the underground
  12. board — a committee
  13. bank — for money
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bank — for money
  17. tube — a container
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bulb — for light

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