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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. snap — to click
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. tube — a container
  7. stem — to come from
  8. chip — for betting
  9. tube — the underground
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. foot — a measure

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