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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 · stick · cue · saw · bat · can · lash · race

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. race — a contest
  9. can — to be able to
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cue — a signal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. race — humankind
  23. can — a tin
  24. race — the arms 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