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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 120 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: nail · face · swing · pop · tube · clip · mark · bore

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pop — soda
  3. mark — a grade
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pop — music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. clip — a video
  12. bore — to tire
  13. swing — music
  14. tube — a container
  15. mark — a trace
  16. face — part of the head
  17. swing — to play on
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. face — to confront
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. clip — for paper
  23. swing — in golf
  24. face — to point toward

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