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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: tube · snap · jam · bound · land · calf · hide · stem

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bound — obliged
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. tube — a container
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. land — a country
  22. stem — to come from
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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