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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. foot — a measure
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. kid — child
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. suit — to fit
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. suit — in cards
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. kid — to tease
  15. suit — clothes
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mine — for digging
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. jam — in traffic

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