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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 116 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: tube · pitch · spring · lash · bore · bound · rest · mouse

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. spring — the season
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bound — certain
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bound — tied together
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bore — to drill

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