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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: sharp · stem · bay · wave · plane · tube · wound · mouse

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. tube — a container
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. plane — an aircraft

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