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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. can — a tin
  6. last — final
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bank — for money
  10. tube — a container
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — for money
  13. last — to go on
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. last — finally
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stand — on your feet

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