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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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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: wake · tube · bore · dip · sharp · rash · cap · lash

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wake — a trail
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rash — a series
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cap — a hat
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bore — to tire
  23. dip — to sink
  24. sharp — clever

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