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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · tube · date · cap · lash · current · foot · craft

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. tube — the underground
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. current — of water
  5. craft — a skill
  6. spell — a short time
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. spell — letters
  9. cap — of ice
  10. current — electric
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. tube — a container
  13. cap — a hat
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. foot — a measure
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. date — the fruit
  18. cap — a lid
  19. craft — boats
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. spell — magic
  22. current — happening now
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. tube — in a tire

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