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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: leaves · tear · bore · face · rush · pitch · mug · tube

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tube — the underground
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mug — to rob
  12. face — part of the head
  13. tube — a container
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mug — a face
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mug — a cup
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. tear — from crying
  23. face — to confront
  24. bore — gave birth

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