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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: patient · bore · mouse · lean · stock · bay · tube · dip

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. tube — a container
  9. stock — goods
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bore — to tire
  13. lean — thin
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stock — shares
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. dip — to sink
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bore — to drill

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