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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 · fan · hide · suit · dip · cell · can · tube

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. can — a tin
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. dip — to sink
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cell — a phone
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cell — in biology
  13. suit — to fit
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. tube — a container
  19. suit — in cards
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. can — a tin
  23. bore — to drill
  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