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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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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 · bay · mate · chest · leaves · lash · chip · rock

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rock — music
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. chip — for betting
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chest — a box
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. chest — of your body

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