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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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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: march · tube · bear · lash · fall · jam · bore · stick

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fall — to drop
  4. march — music
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. tube — the underground
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. fall — to drop
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. tube — a container
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bear — the animal
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. march — the month
  21. fall — the season
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. march — the month
  24. bore — to drill

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