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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
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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: hand · bore · perch · race · spell · tube · cell · nail

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. race — humankind
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cell — in biology
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bore — to drill
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bore — to tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. spell — magic
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. spell — letters
  18. tube — a container
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — help
  21. perch — the fish
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cell — a phone
  24. tube — in a tire

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