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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cell — a phone
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fall — to drop
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cell — in biology
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wax — for sculpting

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