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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: object · row · patient · spring · lash · trunk · tube · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. spring — the season
  4. tube — the underground
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. object — to protest
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. spring — of water
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. spring — a coil
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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