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

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. craft — boats
  10. swing — to play on
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. band — a ring
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. band — a music group
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. swing — music
  20. shower — rain
  21. rush — hurry
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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