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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. season — in sport
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cue — a hint
  5. suit — in cards
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. suit — clothes
  10. net — in sport
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. season — of the year
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rush — hurry
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. net — after costs
  20. saw — the tool
  21. tube — the underground
  22. net — for catching
  23. tube — a container
  24. stem — to come from

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