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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
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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: cap · wake · stem · bay · bear · scale · tube · sharp

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. scale — in music
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. scale — size or range
  14. cap — a lid
  15. wake — a trail
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bear — the animal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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