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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
468
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: lash · hide · tube · pop · bore · stick · charge · file

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. file — a tool
  4. pop — to visit
  5. charge — a price
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. tube — the underground
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bore — to tire
  20. file — a document
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — music
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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