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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: wound · tube · lash · rock · mouse · wake · leaves · pit

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pit — a hole
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wake — a trail
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. tube — the underground
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. tube — a container
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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