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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
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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: sharp · lash · toast · cell · tube · object · cap · bound

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. bound — tied together
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. object — to protest
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cell — a phone
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cell — in biology
  19. toast — bread
  20. object — an aim
  21. tube — the underground
  22. object — a thing
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. toast — the most admired

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