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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 120 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: rock · lash · pit · tube · spell · bat · leaves · chair

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bat — the animal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pit — a hole
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rock — music
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. spell — letters
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. chair — to sit on

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