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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
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 · track · ruler · rock · tube · wake · lash · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. wake — a trail
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. chair — a leader
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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