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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: bowl · lash · snap · club · jam · bark · hand · mine

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mine — for digging
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bark — to shout
  10. snap — to click
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. hand — help
  19. club — a group
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. club — for golf
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the 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