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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bore — to tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. craft — boats
  5. race — the arms race
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mate — to breed
  8. race — humankind
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mate — a partner
  12. race — a contest
  13. club — for golf
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mate — a friend
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. club — a group
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. craft — a skill

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