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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
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: temple · chip · dip · lash · net · bat · tube · bore

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. net — after costs
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bore — to tire
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chip — for betting
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. net — for catching
  21. bore — to drill
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. net — in sport
  24. temple — side of the head

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