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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: lash · bass · tube · current · jam · squash · swing · wind

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bass — low music
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. swing — in golf
  7. current — happening now
  8. tube — a container
  9. current — electric
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. current — of water
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wind — moving air
  21. swing — music
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. swing — to play on

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