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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: capital · suit · stem · bore · cabinet · tube · shower · foot

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. foot — a measure
  7. shower — rain
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. capital — money
  11. tube — the underground
  12. shower — to wash
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. tube — a container
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. capital — a city
  24. foot — the bottom

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