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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 · last · bowl · rock · spell · bore · leaves · straw

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bore — to tire
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rock — music
  9. last — final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. spell — letters
  17. rock — a stone
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. last — finally
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. spell — magic
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. last — to go on

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