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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: bay · lean · tube · mine · mark · chest · bore · arm

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lean — thin
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. tube — a container
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mine — for digging

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