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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. squash — to crush
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mug — to rob
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. date — the fruit
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mug — a cup
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. drill — a practice
  20. squash — the sport
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mug — a face
  24. date — on the calendar

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