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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. cell — in biology
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bank — for money
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bank — for money
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. staff — a stick
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cell — a phone
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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