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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — a container
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. spring — the season
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tube — the underground
  11. spring — a coil
  12. band — a ring
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spring — of water
  17. band — a music group
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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