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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: tube · craft · spell · hide · wound · charge · lash · bore

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. charge — electricity
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. bore — to drill
  10. spell — letters
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. craft — boats
  21. wound — an injury
  22. tube — a container
  23. wound — an injury
  24. craft — a skill

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