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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: pass · stem · current · roll · tube · lie · row · bowl

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. roll — a list
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. roll — a cake
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lie — to recline
  18. row — a line
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pass — a permit
  23. tube — a container
  24. bowl — a football final

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