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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: bore · arm · tube · bound · stand · swing · cabinet · perch

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stand — to bear
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bound — obliged
  8. perch — the fish
  9. swing — in golf
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bore — to drill
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bound — certain
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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