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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: snap · dip · bore · mate · ground · ruler · bark · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mate — a friend
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ground — the earth
  8. snap — to click
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mate — to breed
  14. tube — a container
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ground — crushed
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ground — a position

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