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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: lash · fall · can · jam · mouse · ball · squash · spring

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fall — the season
  6. can — to be able to
  7. squash — to crush
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. ball — a dance
  16. squash — the sport
  17. spring — the season
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. spring — of water
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. ball — a round shape

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