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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: tear · temple · charge · bear · scale · stem · tube · court

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. tube — the underground
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. tube — a container
  7. charge — a price
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. court — of a king
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. scale — in music
  13. court — for sport
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. tear — to rip
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. scale — size or range
  22. charge — in control
  23. stem — to come from
  24. court — of law

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