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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. tube — a container
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. swing — in golf
  6. board — to get on
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. swing — music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. present — the time now
  13. swing — to play on
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lean — thin
  16. hand — help
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lean — to bend
  21. present — a gift
  22. hand — in cards
  23. present — there
  24. board — a committee

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