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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: row · mark · snap · bore · pop · fall · tube · capital

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mark — a grade
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fall — the season
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. tube — a container
  8. mark — a trace
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pop — music
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bore — to tire
  13. capital — money
  14. bore — to drill
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. capital — a city
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. snap — to click
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. tube — the underground

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