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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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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: bay · fine · can · hand · band · branch · tube · stem

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stem — to come from
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. tube — a container
  5. can — to be able to
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. band — a music group
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. fine — high quality
  13. can — a tin
  14. fine — all right
  15. hand — help
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. can — a tin
  18. band — a ring
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. hand — in cards
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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