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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 · sharp · clip · bore · game · wound · cabinet · stem

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. clip — a video
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. sharp — clever
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — for paper
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. game — a match
  24. sharp — with an edge

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