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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fine — high quality
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — music
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. fine — all right
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. lash — an eyelash

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