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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: bear · degree · fan · jam · safe · lash

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. degree — an amount
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. degree — from a university
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bear — to put up with

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