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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mine — for digging
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fall — the season
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rest — a break
  17. tube — a container
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. current — happening now
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rest — what's left

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