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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. object — an aim
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. tube — a container
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wax — to grow
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. object — a thing
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. branch — a division
  15. object — to protest
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. dip — to sink
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. net — in sport
  24. lash — to lash out

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