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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: stand · stem · dip · clip · capital · trunk · staff · tube

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. capital — money
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. staff — employees
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stem — to come from
  11. tube — the underground
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. capital — a city
  18. staff — employees
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. clip — for paper
  21. staff — a stick
  22. dip — to sink
  23. clip — to cut
  24. stand — to bear

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