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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 · dip · patient · lash · band · row · tube · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. dip — to sink
  6. spell — a short time
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. row — a line
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. spell — magic
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. tube — the underground
  15. spell — letters
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. band — a music group
  18. wax — to grow
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. row — to paddle
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tube — a container

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