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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: tube · race · dip · lash · capital · last · object · pop

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. object — an aim
  3. race — humankind
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. capital — money
  6. tube — the underground
  7. race — the arms race
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. last — final
  10. pop — soda
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pop — to visit
  14. last — finally
  15. object — a thing
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. last — to go on
  20. tube — a container
  21. race — a contest
  22. pop — music
  23. object — to protest
  24. capital — a city

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