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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: club · tube · leaves · trunk · lash · bay · game · current

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. current — of water
  6. club — for golf
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. club — for dancing
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. current — electric
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. current — happening now
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. game — wild animals
  22. club — a group
  23. game — a match
  24. tube — a container

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