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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 116 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: lash · object · wave · bay · tube · staff · dip · cell

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. tube — the underground
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. staff — employees
  8. dip — to sink
  9. object — an aim
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cell — a phone
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cell — in biology
  14. object — a thing
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. staff — employees
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. tube — a container
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. object — to protest
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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