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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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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: pass · cell · track · lash · tube · craft · pop · tear

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. tube — a container
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pop — music
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. tear — from crying
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. track — a song
  10. tear — to rip
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. track — a path
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cell — in biology
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cell — a phone
  23. craft — boats
  24. pop — soda

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