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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: suit · shower · tube · straw · stem · chip · bore · season

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. shower — rain
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. shower — to wash
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bore — to tire
  10. season — in sport
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stem — to come from
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. suit — to fit
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. tube — the underground

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