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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stem — to come from
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — a subject
  11. craft — boats
  12. root — of a plant
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bound — tied together
  15. field — for sport
  16. bound — obliged
  17. root — the cause
  18. craft — a skill
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. root — of a word
  23. bound — certain
  24. wound — an injury

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