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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.

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 · wound · straw · bear · nail · tube · fine · mug

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. tube — the underground
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wound — an injury
  15. tube — a container
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mug — a face
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mug — a cup
  20. fine — all right
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bore — to tire

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