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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.

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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: bore · tube · cold · stand · bark · stem · row · fine

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fine — high quality
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fine — all right
  10. row — to paddle
  11. cold — an illness
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. row — a line
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cold — not warm
  19. tube — a container
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bore — to tire

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