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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: club · saw · row · bound · tube · lash · mouse · sharp

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bound — certain
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. club — for golf
  7. tube — a container
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. club — for dancing
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. tube — the underground
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. sharp — clever
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. club — a group
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. row — a line
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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