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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: toast · stick · jam · cold · lash · lie · rush · dip

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. toast — bread
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cold — an illness
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cold — not warm

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