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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: stem · can · bear · hide · drill · cap · tube · face

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. cap — of ice
  3. face — to confront
  4. can — a tin
  5. face — to point toward
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. cap — a lid
  11. drill — army training
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. can — to be able to
  14. tube — a container
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cap — a hat
  17. tube — the underground
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stem — to come from
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bear — the animal
  24. can — a tin

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