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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · clip · tube · key · bore · content · object · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bore — to tire
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. key — in music
  8. tube — the underground
  9. content — happy
  10. can — to be able to
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. key — for a lock
  13. tube — a container
  14. object — an aim
  15. can — a tin
  16. key — the most important part
  17. clip — to cut
  18. object — to protest
  19. can — a tin
  20. object — a thing
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. content — the amount

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