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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 · foot · saw · lash · bank · mouse · roll · kid

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bank — for money
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. foot — a measure
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. roll — a list
  13. saw — the tool
  14. kid — child
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. roll — on a roll

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