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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 116 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: hand · mine · bore · spell · tube · root · bear · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. hand — in cards
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bear — the animal
  8. root — the cause
  9. mine — for digging
  10. spell — letters
  11. bore — to tire
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bore — to drill
  14. spell — magic
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. hand — help
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. spell — a short time

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