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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: bore · bulb · lash · tube · bay · bear · track · degree

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tube — a container
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. track — to keep track
  5. tube — the underground
  6. track — a song
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bore — to tire
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bore — to drill
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bear — the animal
  23. track — a path
  24. bulb — of a plant

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