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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: squash · bulb · mate · lie · stem · degree · bear · tube

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. squash — the sport
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mate — a friend
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. degree — temperature
  20. mate — a partner
  21. lie — to recline
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lie — an untruth

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