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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: tube · face · bear · track · cabinet · pitcher · stem · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. face — to confront
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. face — part of the head
  19. tube — a container
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bear — the animal
  24. track — a song

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