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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. dip — to sink
  9. last — finally
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. kid — child
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. craft — boats

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