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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. firm — steady
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. mark — a grade
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. firm — decided
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mine — for digging
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. firm — a company
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. squash — the sport
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cell — a phone
  24. jam — a tight spot

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