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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: tube · kick · lash · wax · spell · current · bound · clip

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. kick — in football
  3. tube — the underground
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. tube — a container
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wax — to grow
  8. clip — a video
  9. current — happening now
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. clip — to cut
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. current — electric
  17. spell — magic
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. clip — for paper
  23. current — of water
  24. wax — in the ear

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