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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rest — what's left
  4. row — to paddle
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rest — a break
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fall — the season
  22. row — a line
  23. tube — a container
  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