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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: bat · tube · leaves · lash · can · pound · saw · fan

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. can — a tin
  3. pound — a weight
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. tube — the underground
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bat — the animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. tube — a container
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. lash — to lash out

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