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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lash · board · can · pound · tube · spring · wound · chair

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. spring — of water
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. tube — the underground
  6. chair — a leader
  7. board — a committee
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. tube — a container
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. can — a tin
  15. board — to get on
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. spring — a coil
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. spring — the season
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. can — a tin
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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