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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.

Make a worksheet

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

Word bank: tube · cabinet · lie · net · lash · deal · wave · mug

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mug — a cup
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — a container
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mug — a face
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. net — after costs

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