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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. snap — to click
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. face — to confront
  9. prune — to trim
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. vault — a safe
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. prune — to trim
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. face — part of the head
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. face — to point toward
  23. sharp — clever
  24. club — for dancing

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