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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 · bear · suit · roll · drill · face · land · can

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. can — to be able to
  3. land — to come down
  4. roll — a list
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. suit — clothes
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bear — the animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. can — a tin
  11. suit — to fit
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. suit — in cards
  14. land — a country
  15. can — a tin
  16. face — part of the head
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. roll — a cake
  19. face — to confront
  20. drill — the tool
  21. tube — a container
  22. drill — army training
  23. land — ground
  24. bear — the animal

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