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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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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: fine · tube · drill · hide · bowl · tear · dip · capital

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. tube — a container
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. tear — from crying
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. drill — the tool
  8. dip — to sink
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. drill — a practice
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. drill — army training
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. fine — all right
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. tube — the underground

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