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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: spell · can · kick · ruler · temple · field · tube · lash

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. can — to be able to
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. field — a subject
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. spell — magic
  7. field — for sport
  8. spell — a short time
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. field — farmland
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tube — a container
  20. spell — letters
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. kick — in football

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