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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: mark · saw · content · season · bore · tear · tube · can

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mark — a trace
  4. content — happy
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bore — to drill
  10. content — the amount
  11. mark — a grade
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. tube — the underground
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. can — to be able to
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. tube — a container
  20. tear — from crying
  21. can — a tin
  22. season — in sport
  23. bore — to tire
  24. can — a tin

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