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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 · shower · firm · rule · bore · cap · file · straw

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. firm — steady
  4. cap — a lid
  5. file — a document
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. file — a tool
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rule — government
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. tube — the underground
  12. firm — a company
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. rule — a law
  16. firm — decided
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bore — to drill
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. cap — of ice
  22. tube — a container
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. tube — in a tire

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