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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. tube — a container
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bore — to tire
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mate — to breed
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mate — a partner
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bore — to drill
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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