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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.

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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: cell · bore · pass · chest · capital · tube · lean · bulb

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cell — in biology
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bore — to drill
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. chest — a box
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pass — a permit
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lean — thin
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. capital — money
  14. tube — a container
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lean — to bend
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bore — to tire
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cell — in a prison

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