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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. track — a path
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. key — in music
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wound — an injury
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. track — to keep track
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. dip — to sink
  22. track — a song
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bowl — to roll

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