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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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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: tube · roll · stand · chip · lash · hand · craft · wax

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. chip — to eat
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. hand — in cards
  6. roll — a cake
  7. hand — help
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. tube — a container
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. tube — the underground
  17. roll — a list
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stand — to bear
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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