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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. toast — bread
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. current — happening now
  6. deal — to handle
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. drill — a practice
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. hand — help
  20. drill — the tool
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. drill — army training
  24. hand — in cards

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