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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stock — shares
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. stock — goods
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. tube — a container

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