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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. can — to be able to
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. squash — the sport
  5. shower — to wash
  6. can — a tin
  7. ball — a great time
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ball — a dance
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. clip — a video
  14. squash — to crush
  15. can — a tin
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. shower — rain
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mug — a cup
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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