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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: bank · chip · tube · lean · ruler · lie · row · bore

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bank — for money
  5. bore — to drill
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bore — to tire
  8. chip — to eat
  9. tube — the underground
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. tube — a container
  14. bank — for money
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. row — a line
  17. lean — thin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. chip — for betting

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