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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 · craft · track · band · suit · wax · net · lash

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. net — after costs
  5. suit — in cards
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. craft — boats
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. wax — to grow
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. tube — a container
  20. band — a ring
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. band — a music group
  23. suit — clothes
  24. craft — a skill

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