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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cap — a hat
  7. fine — high quality
  8. land — to come down
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fine — all right
  12. cap — a lid
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cap — of ice
  21. land — a country
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. land — ground

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