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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · game · wound · fan · tube · bore

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. game — a match
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mark — a grade
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. game — a kind of play

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