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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: lash · tube · wax · bark · pop · bat · safe · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bat — the animal
  3. tube — a container
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pop — soda
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pop — to visit
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pop — music
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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