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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. tube — a container
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. degree — from a university
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. can — to be able to
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. can — a tin
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lean — thin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. degree — an amount
  20. can — a tin
  21. degree — temperature
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wind — moving air

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