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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: fine · tube · content · wax · stick · lash · kid · key

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. kid — child
  9. content — happy
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fine — high quality
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. tube — a container
  16. kid — to tease
  17. key — the most important part
  18. content — the amount
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. key — in music
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wax — to grow
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. content — videos and posts

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