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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. chest — of your body
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. perch — the fish
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. root — the cause
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. root — of a word
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chest — of your body
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. chest — a box
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. track — a path
  23. root — of a plant
  24. racket — for tennis

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