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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 116 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: band · spring · lash · pass · ruler · pit · tube · dip

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. band — a music group
  4. spring — a coil
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pit — in a race
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pass — a permit
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. spring — the season
  13. band — a ring
  14. pit — a hole
  15. tube — a container
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. dip — to sink
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tube — in a tire

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