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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 112 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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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 · stand · scale · tube · pit · fall · clip · bulb

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. tube — a container
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pit — a hole
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fall — the season
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fall — to drop
  21. scale — in music
  22. clip — a video
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. scale — size or range

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