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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bat · wave · wound · fall · mug · pass

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mug — a face
  4. bore — to tire
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fall — the season
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mug — a cup
  9. tube — a container
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wave — with your hand

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