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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. land — a country
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. land — ground
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. suit — clothes
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. suit — in cards
  19. last — final
  20. land — to come down
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. jam — in traffic
  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