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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: foot · snap · lash · tube · fine · dip · band · pitcher

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. foot — a measure
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. tube — the underground
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. fine — all right
  14. tube — a container
  15. band — a music group
  16. dip — to sink
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. band — a ring
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. snap — to click

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