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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. land — to come down
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. snap — to click
  10. land — a country
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. land — ground
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. jam — in traffic

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