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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 120 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: bear · tube · present · rush · wave · last · hide · stem

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. tube — a container
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rush — hurry
  8. present — the time now
  9. stem — to come from
  10. tube — the underground
  11. present — there
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. last — final
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. last — finally
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. present — a gift
  24. hide — to keep secret

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