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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.

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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: lie · rule · current · tube · pound · hand · bore · clip

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. hand — help
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. current — electric
  7. clip — to cut
  8. rule — a law
  9. tube — a container
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — for paper
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rule — government
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pound — a weight

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