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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bore · pop · lie · fork · nail · tube · bear · swing

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fork — in a road
  9. swing — music
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bore — to tire
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tube — the underground
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bore — to drill
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tube — a container
  24. swing — to play 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