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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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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: saw · bound · lash · tube · trunk · content · wake · staff

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. content — happy
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. staff — employees
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. staff — employees
  11. content — the amount
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bound — certain
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wake — a trail
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bound — tied together
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bound — obliged
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. saw — the tool

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