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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. land — ground
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. swing — music
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. swing — to play on
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. land — a country
  16. branch — a division
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. land — to come down
  24. swing — in golf

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