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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: tube · bear · hand · bore · key · leaves · can · lean

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. hand — in cards
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. hand — help
  12. lean — to bend
  13. key — for a lock
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lean — thin
  16. can — a tin
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bear — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. tube — a container
  21. key — in music
  22. can — to be able to
  23. leaves — to go away
  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