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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. band — a music group
  4. spell — magic
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. band — a ring
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. swing — music
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. spell — a short time
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. spell — letters
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pound — a weight
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. band — a rubber band

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