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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. current — happening now
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wake — a trail
  7. dip — to sink
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. current — of water
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. band — a music group
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. band — a ring
  20. current — electric
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. jam — a tight spot

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