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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: tube · mark · fall · nail · leaves · lie · fan · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. tube — a container
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bore — to tire
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bore — to drill
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. fall — the season
  23. mark — a grade
  24. fan — a supporter

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