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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.

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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: stick · mark · tube · rock · bore · present · chip · lash

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. chip — for betting
  4. present — there
  5. tube — a container
  6. present — a gift
  7. mark — a grade
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. present — the time now
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bore — to drill
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bore — to tire
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tube — the underground
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rock — a 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