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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: rule · wake · bear · vault · dip · lash · bay · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rule — a law
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rule — government
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. dip — to sink
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. tube — a container
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rule — to rule out

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