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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.

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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: pound · clip · bear · bay · bore · lash · spring · tube

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. spring — of water
  7. clip — for paper
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bear — the animal
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bore — to tire
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. tube — a container
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pound — a weight
  21. clip — a video
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bear — the animal

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