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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: jam · nail · stick · scale · rock · present · date · lash

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. present — there
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. scale — in music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rock — music
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. date — the fruit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. scale — size or range
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — a gift
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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