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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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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 · wake · drill · nail · jam · tube · lean · safe

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. drill — a practice
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tube — a container
  12. drill — army training
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wake — a trail
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tube — the underground
  21. drill — the tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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