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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 124 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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Word bank
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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: content · lie · present · saw · bore · tube · last · cabinet

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. saw — the tool
  4. present — there
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. last — final
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lie — to recline
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. content — happy
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. last — to go on
  18. content — the amount
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. saw — the tool
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bore — to drill
  24. last — finally

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