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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: lean · present · foot · track · pass · stem · tube · hand

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. present — a gift
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. track — a path
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. track — to keep track
  11. present — the time now
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. lean — to bend
  15. foot — a measure
  16. hand — help
  17. tube — the underground
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. present — there
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pass — a permit
  22. track — a song
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. tube — in a 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