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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. can — a tin
  3. stand — to bear
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mate — to breed
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. can — a tin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bore — to drill
  14. can — to be able to
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bore — to tire
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mate — a partner
  23. tube — a container
  24. prune — to trim

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