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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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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 · lean · tube · object · bat · saw · craft · pound

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. object — a thing
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pound — a weight
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. saw — the tool
  10. tube — the underground
  11. craft — boats
  12. tube — a container
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. lean — to bend
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. lean — thin
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. craft — a skill
  20. object — to protest
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. object — an aim
  23. stem — of a plant
  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