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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: net · tube · stem · deal · key · hand · leaves · mark

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. tube — a container
  2. deal — to handle
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mark — a grade
  5. key — for a lock
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. hand — in cards
  10. tube — the underground
  11. key — in music
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. net — for catching
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. key — the most important part
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. stem — to come from
  23. hand — help
  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