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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: racket · craft · tube · object · clip · lash · root · content

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. object — an aim
  3. clip — for paper
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. craft — boats
  7. root — of a plant
  8. craft — a skill
  9. content — the amount
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. tube — a container
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. clip — to cut
  17. content — happy
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. clip — a video
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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