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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 116 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: stem · fine · dip · bound · land · bear · can · kick

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bound — certain
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. can — a tin
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. fine — high quality
  13. land — ground
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. land — a country
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bound — tied together
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. land — to come down
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fine — all right
  24. dip — to sink

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