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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: racket · lie · press · snap · lash · root · jam · content

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. content — happy
  3. content — the amount
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. snap — to click
  10. lie — to recline
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. press — to push
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. press — newspapers
  24. jam — a tight spot

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