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

Word bank: bank · present · dip · object · tear · cue · tube · lash

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cue — for pool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. present — there
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. object — a thing
  15. present — a gift
  16. tube — a container
  17. bank — for money
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bank — of a river
  22. present — the time now
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bank — for money

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