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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.

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: bowl · land · suit · chest · degree · lash · bore · tube

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. land — a country
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. tube — a container
  8. bore — to drill
  9. degree — temperature
  10. chest — of your body
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. chest — a box
  13. bore — to tire
  14. suit — clothes
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. degree — an amount
  21. suit — to fit
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. lash — to lash 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