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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · wound · stem · tube · pass · nail · capital · mouse

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wound — an injury
  8. capital — a city
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. tube — a container
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. capital — money
  24. bark — of a tree

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