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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. tube — a container
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. squash — to crush
  6. band — a music group
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. clip — to cut
  17. content — happy
  18. clip — for paper
  19. band — a ring
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. squash — the sport
  22. clip — a video
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. content — the amount

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