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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: bore · object · lash · tube · drill · cabinet · plane · bear

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. object — to protest
  6. drill — army training
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. object — an aim
  11. drill — a practice
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. drill — the tool
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. plane — a tool
  24. object — a thing

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