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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: wax · jam · tube · band · pound · lash · lie · wound

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. wound — an injury
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wax — to grow
  5. band — a music group
  6. tube — a container
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. band — a ring
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lie — an untruth

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