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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
468
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: foot · spell · cap · lash · wave · tube · pitcher · field

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. field — farmland
  13. spell — magic
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. spell — a short time
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. tube — a container
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. tube — the underground
  23. spell — letters
  24. pitcher — a jug

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