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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. band — a music group
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. roll — a cake
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. roll — a list
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. content — happy
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. band — a ring
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. jam — in traffic

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