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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. tube — a container
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cue — a hint
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. clip — for paper
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. clip — to cut
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cue — a signal
  21. clip — a video
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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