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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: net · fine · mouse · lash · firm · tube · sharp · land

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. fine — high quality
  4. land — to come down
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. net — after costs
  8. tube — the underground
  9. land — ground
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. net — in sport
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. land — a country
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. net — for catching
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fine — all right
  20. firm — steady
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mouse — for a computer

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