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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 · kid · bore · last · leaves · land · firm · wave

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bore — to drill
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. firm — decided
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. land — to come down
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. firm — steady
  14. land — ground
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. last — finally
  18. tube — a container
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. land — a country
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. firm — a company

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