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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kick · bear · tube · lash · rush · firm · cap · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bear — the animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. firm — a company
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. firm — steady
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cap — a lid
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wax — to grow
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. kick — in football
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cap — of ice

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