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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. key — the most important part
  9. spell — magic
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. content — happy
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. content — the amount
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cell — in biology
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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