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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: tube · pound · lean · lash · bay · bore · hand · track

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tube — a container
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. lean — thin
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. track — to keep track
  11. hand — help
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bore — to tire
  14. track — a song
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. hand — in cards
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lean — to bend
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. track — a path

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