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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.

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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: bulb · lash · mouse · wake · tube · spring · pound · net

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. tube — a container
  3. net — in sport
  4. spring — of water
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bulb — for light
  8. net — for catching
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wake — a trail
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spring — the season
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. net — after costs
  24. pound — for dogs

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