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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · foot · bound · mark · patient · fall · tube · squash

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. squash — the sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mark — a grade
  7. tube — the underground
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bound — certain
  10. fall — to drop
  11. foot — a measure
  12. tube — a container
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stem — to come from
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fall — the season

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