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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 · object · can · lie · tube · bore · cell · rash

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cell — a phone
  3. lie — to recline
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. can — a tin
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. object — an aim
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bore — to tire
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. object — a thing
  18. rash — hasty
  19. object — to protest
  20. tube — a container
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rash — a series
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bore — gave birth

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