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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bay · lie · bore · squash · chip · land · dip

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bore — to drill
  3. tube — the underground
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. land — a country
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bore — to tire
  11. squash — the sport
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. land — ground
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. squash — to crush
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bay — a horse colour

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