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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rock — music
  4. spring — of water
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. tube — the underground
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. spring — a coil
  12. tube — a container
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. spring — the season
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bore — to tire
  20. kick — in football
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rock — a stone

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