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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 120 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: tube · ruler · bore · stick · nail · chest · net · fall

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. net — in sport
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. net — for catching
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bore — to drill
  6. tube — a container
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. net — after costs
  11. fall — the season
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chest — a box
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fall — to drop
  18. tube — the underground
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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