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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: tube · bore · cold · saw · plane · wake · stem · pass

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bore — to drill
  5. stem — to come from
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cold — not warm
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pass — a permit
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. tube — a container
  19. wake — a trail
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wake — before a funeral

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