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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. content — happy
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. current — electric
  9. lean — thin
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lean — to bend
  12. sharp — clever
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. content — the amount
  15. current — of water
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. current — happening now
  18. craft — boats
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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