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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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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: rest · mate · hand · tube · stick · lash · vault · chip

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rest — a break
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. tube — a container
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mate — a friend
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. vault — a safe
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. hand — help

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