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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: kid · plane · pit · toast · lash · bank · stick · jam

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bank — for money
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pit — in a race
  11. kid — child
  12. pit — a hole
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bank — for money
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. toast — bread
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bank — of a river
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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