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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. squash — to crush
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bass — low music
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. stand — to bear
  15. squash — the sport
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bass — the fish
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. prune — to trim
  24. safe — out of danger

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