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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. content — happy
  6. club — for golf
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. tube — the underground
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. club — a group
  22. content — the amount
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pass — a permit

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