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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: prune · board · tube · pass · drill · stem · saw · dip

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. tube — in a tire
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pass — a permit
  10. drill — a practice
  11. board — a committee
  12. saw — the tool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. prune — to trim
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. board — to get on
  21. drill — army training
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. drill — the tool
  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