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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. cell — a phone
  5. swing — in golf
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cell — in biology
  9. swing — music
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pop — soda
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. pop — music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pop — to visit
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. toast — bread
  23. swing — to play on
  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