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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: rush · pop · tube · mouse · nail · bore · hide · field

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pop — music
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pop — to visit
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. field — a subject
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. field — for sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pop — soda
  20. field — farmland
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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