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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 · root · clip · club · tube · can · swing · lash

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. clip — a video
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. can — a tin
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. club — a group
  10. clip — to cut
  11. swing — music
  12. tube — the underground
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. tube — a container
  16. swing — to play on
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. club — for golf
  19. clip — for paper
  20. root — of a plant
  21. club — for dancing
  22. root — of a word
  23. swing — in golf
  24. can — a tin

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