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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pop — music
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pop — soda
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. content — the amount
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. content — happy
  17. shower — rain
  18. swing — to play on
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pop — to visit
  22. roll — a cake
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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