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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: clip · stick · coach · lash · tube · wake · deal · content

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. clip — to cut
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — a container
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. content — the amount
  10. deal — to handle
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wake — a trail
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. content — happy
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. clip — for paper
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. clip — a video
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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