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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 120 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: bound · stem · season · lean · saw · rock · rest · tube

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rock — music
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. lean — thin
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. tube — a container
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rest — a break
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lean — to bend
  23. season — in sport
  24. saw — the tool

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