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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. squash — the sport
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wind — moving air
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. cabinet — ministers

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