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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 120 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: firm · cell · rule · bore · wound · nail · tube · squash

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cell — a phone
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. rule — government
  14. wound — an injury
  15. squash — the sport
  16. tube — the underground
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. squash — to crush
  21. firm — steady
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rule — a law
  24. tube — a container

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