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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 · tube · bank · face · perch · clip · net · hide

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bank — for money
  3. clip — for paper
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. net — in sport
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. net — for catching
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bank — of a river
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bank — for money
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tube — a container
  16. face — to confront
  17. net — after costs
  18. clip — to cut
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. clip — a video
  22. tube — the underground
  23. hide — animal skin
  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