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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · tube · rock · bass · bore · lash · vault · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rock — music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. row — a line
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. vault — a safe
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. roll — a cake
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bass — low music
  24. tube — in a tire

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