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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 · row · pit · drill · rule · mug · branch · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. mug — a cup
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. branch — a division
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mug — a face
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. drill — army training
  11. rule — government
  12. row — a line
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mug — to rob
  17. drill — a practice
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rule — a law
  20. pit — a hole
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. pit — in a race

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