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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: mark · jam · lash · squash · tube · swing · stick · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. swing — to play on
  6. squash — to crush
  7. swing — music
  8. tube — a container
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mark — a grade
  16. squash — the sport
  17. object — to protest
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. object — an aim
  20. tube — the underground
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lash — to lash out

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