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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: date · dip · bore · firm · tube · land · lash · board

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. land — to come down
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. firm — a company
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. firm — steady
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. land — a country
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. firm — decided
  14. tube — a container
  15. bore — to drill
  16. board — to get on
  17. land — ground
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bore — to tire
  24. date — the fruit

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