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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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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. tube — a container
  6. row — a line
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fine — all right
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. face — to confront
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. fine — high quality
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bore — to tire
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tube — the underground
  18. face — to point toward
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. face — part of the head
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bore — to drill

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