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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
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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: spell · stick · pitcher · lash · tube · row · bore · pop

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. spell — magic
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pop — soda
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pop — music
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. spell — letters
  18. tube — a container
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bore — to tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pitcher — a jug

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