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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. staff — employees
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. staff — employees
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bore — to drill
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. tube — the underground
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bore — to tire
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. vault — a safe
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. staff — a stick
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. patient — a sick person

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