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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mug — a face
  3. track — to keep track
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. track — a song
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ball — a dance
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. branch — a division
  14. face — part of the head
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. face — to point toward
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. face — to confront
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mug — to rob
  21. track — a path
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mug — a cup
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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