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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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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: tube · suit · wound · content · leaves · bore · can · staff

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. content — the amount
  6. staff — a stick
  7. content — happy
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wound — an injury
  11. suit — in cards
  12. tube — a container
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wound — an injury
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. staff — employees
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. can — a tin
  24. staff — employees

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