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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: pop · content · craft · stand · tube · lash · spell · lie

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pop — soda
  7. content — the amount
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pop — music
  13. craft — boats
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. spell — magic
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. craft — a skill
  19. spell — letters
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pop — to visit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tube — the underground
  24. content — happy

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