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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. firm — a company
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chest — of your body
  9. last — to go on
  10. firm — steady
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. last — final
  13. chest — a box
  14. firm — decided
  15. last — finally
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wake — a trail
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. nail — on a finger

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