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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. band — a ring
  4. degree — from a university
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. staff — a stick
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. tube — a container
  10. staff — employees
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bore — to tire
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. band — a music group
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. staff — employees
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. degree — temperature
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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