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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: tube · bore · cabinet · pound · dip · chest · can · mug

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. can — a tin
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. tube — the underground
  7. chest — of your body
  8. dip — to sink
  9. tube — a container
  10. pound — a weight
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mug — a face
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. chest — a box
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mug — to rob
  19. can — a tin
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bore — to tire

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