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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 · jam · chest · tube · firm · rash · dip · mate

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. chest — of your body
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. tube — a container
  5. rash — hasty
  6. tube — the underground
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rash — a series
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. dip — to sink
  15. firm — steady
  16. mate — a partner
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mate — to breed
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. chest — a box
  21. firm — a company
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. firm — decided
  24. mate — a friend

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