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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.

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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. band — a music group
  3. bear — the animal
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. land — a country
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bear — the animal
  10. land — to come down
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. band — a ring
  17. lie — to recline
  18. foot — a measure
  19. tube — a container
  20. land — ground
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. stem — of a plant

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