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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. key — for a lock
  6. spell — magic
  7. can — to be able to
  8. key — the most important part
  9. can — a tin
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. wake — a trail
  12. can — a tin
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. key — in music
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. toast — bread
  20. spell — letters
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. straw — a straw man

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