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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: present · race · jam · wake · bay · chip · lash · bulb

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. race — a contest
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. wake — a trail
  9. present — the time now
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. present — a gift
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. present — there
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lash — an eyelash

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