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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: roll · kick · date · bear · snap · lie · rush · jam

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. snap — to click
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. date — the fruit
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. lie — to recline
  17. roll — a list
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bear — the animal

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