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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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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: bowl · pass · tube · wind · can · lash · fine · drill

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wind — moving air
  10. tube — a container
  11. drill — army training
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. tube — the underground
  15. can — a tin
  16. pass — a permit
  17. can — to be able to
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. drill — a practice
  21. can — a tin
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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