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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: stem · ruler · bore · foot · cell · tube · wound · patient

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. tube — a container
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bore — to drill
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cell — a phone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wound — an injury
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stem — to come from
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stem — a stem cell

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