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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bore — to tire
  5. file — a tool
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. file — a line of people
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. file — a document
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bore — to drill
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. lash — to lash out

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