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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: bay · lie · chair · bore · last · rush · arm · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lie — to recline
  3. last — to go on
  4. bore — to tire
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. last — final
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. last — finally
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bore — to drill
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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