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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: chair · spring · lash · bore · suit · bank · mouse · tube

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. tube — a container
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bank — for money
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. chair — a leader
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. suit — in cards
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mouse — for a computer

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