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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. foot — a measure
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. land — ground
  8. toast — bread
  9. snap — to click
  10. roll — a list
  11. land — to come down
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. roll — a cake
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. land — a country
  24. foot — part of the body

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