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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: bore · lie · prune · bay · tube · wave · dip · field

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tube — a container
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. field — for sport
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. field — a subject
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. field — farmland
  20. bore — to tire
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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