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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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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: swing · foot · tear · stem · tube · net · cabinet · deal

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. net — after costs
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. net — for catching
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. deal — to handle
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. net — in sport
  22. tear — to rip
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. tear — from crying

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