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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. row — a line
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. object — a thing
  11. rule — government
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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