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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. staff — employees
  3. pop — to visit
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pop — soda
  6. can — a tin
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. press — to push
  9. object — to protest
  10. can — a tin
  11. kid — to tease
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. press — newspapers
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. object — a thing
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. press — a publisher
  19. can — to be able to
  20. staff — employees
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. pop — music
  23. object — an aim
  24. kid — child

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