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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: file · kick · bay · can · patient · tube · cap · stem

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. tube — a container
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. can — a tin
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. kick — in football
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stem — to come from
  17. file — a document
  18. can — a tin
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. can — to be able to

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