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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: jam · calf · lash · bay · net · cap · date · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. net — in sport
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. date — the fruit
  6. cap — a hat
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. net — for catching
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cap — a lid
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. net — after costs
  23. cap — of ice
  24. jam — in traffic

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