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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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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: leaves · stem · row · bay · club · wind · fine · tube

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. club — for dancing
  6. tube — a container
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. club — a group
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wind — moving air
  12. club — for golf
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. row — to paddle
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fine — all right
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stem — to come from
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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