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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bass — low music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. content — the amount
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bass — the fish
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. content — happy
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. key — for a lock
  21. craft — boats
  22. key — in music
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. date — on the calendar

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