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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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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: tear · foot · stem · bound · tube · suit · spring · bore

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bound — tied together
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. tube — a container
  9. spring — the season
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bound — obliged
  12. spring — a coil
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bound — certain
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. tear — to rip
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. spring — of water
  23. suit — clothes
  24. tear — from crying

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