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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tube — the underground

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