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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fine — high quality
  3. firm — decided
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. firm — steady
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. firm — a company
  14. wound — an injury
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fine — all right
  20. branch — a division
  21. drill — army training
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. drill — the tool
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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