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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. chest — a box
  7. tube — a container
  8. land — ground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. land — a country
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. chest — of your body
  23. land — to come down
  24. cabinet — ministers

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