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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rock — a stone
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. net — after costs
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. date — the fruit
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. cap — a hat
  19. net — in sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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