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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 116 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. spring — the season
  4. tube — the underground
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bank — for money
  10. branch — a division
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bore — to drill
  14. spring — of water
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rock — music
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bank — for money
  21. bore — to tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rock — to move gently

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