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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. land — a country
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. land — to come down
  15. wound — an injury
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cell — a phone
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cell — in biology
  21. land — ground
  22. wound — an injury
  23. saw — the tool
  24. jam — a tight spot

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