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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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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: lash · roll · hide · jam · board · tube · ball · bat

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. board — to get on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ball — a great time
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. roll — a cake
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tube — a container
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. board — a committee
  18. roll — a list
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ball — a dance
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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