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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 · tube · branch · ruler · cap · bay · drill · bound

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bound — obliged
  7. drill — army training
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cap — a lid
  11. stem — to come from
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bound — certain
  18. tube — the underground
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. branch — a division
  22. cap — of ice
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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