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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. branch — a division
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hand — help
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bass — low music
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mine — an explosive

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