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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · bay · fine · present · jam · deal

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. present — there
  17. fine — all right
  18. jam — in traffic

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