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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
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: pop · wave · squash · march · bore · tube · stem · dip

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bore — to tire
  5. march — the month
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. tube — a container
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pop — soda
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pop — music
  15. march — music
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. march — the month
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. stem — a stem cell

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