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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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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 · mouse · leaves · fall · land · bore · firm · wound

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. firm — a company
  4. tube — a container
  5. bore — to tire
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. firm — steady
  9. land — a country
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wound — an injury
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. firm — decided
  24. leaves — lets stay

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