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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: mouse · lash · fine · content · last · saw · jam · cold

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. cold — an illness
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. content — the amount
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. last — final
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cold — not warm
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. content — happy
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fine — all right

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