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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ground — the earth
  4. band — a music group
  5. suit — in cards
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. band — a ring
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wind — moving air
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. ground — a position
  15. suit — clothes
  16. tube — the underground
  17. suit — to fit
  18. 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