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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. content — the amount
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. saw — the tool
  13. date — the fruit
  14. fine — all right
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. content — happy
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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