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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. object — a thing
  3. content — happy
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. object — an aim
  8. shower — rain
  9. object — to protest
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rest — a break
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rest — what's left
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. content — the amount
  19. rest — what's left
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. lean — thin
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pass — to succeed

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