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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.

Make a worksheet

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: net · lash · hand · tube · temple · chip · present · wax

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. present — the time now
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. net — in sport
  8. tube — the underground
  9. net — for catching
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. hand — in cards
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. present — there
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. net — after costs
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chip — to eat
  23. present — a gift
  24. tube — a container

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