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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
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: lie · chest · patient · lash · mug · jam · wax · tube

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mug — a face
  6. wax — to grow
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. tube — a container
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chest — a box
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mug — a cup
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. patient — a sick person

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