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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. race — humankind
  4. hand — help
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bulb — for light
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. race — the arms race
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. race — a contest
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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