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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. current — electric
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. last — to go on
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cue — a hint
  10. last — final
  11. hand — help
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. last — finally
  14. current — happening now
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. current — of water
  19. cue — for pool
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. cue — a signal
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. date — the fruit
  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