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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: jam · mouse · tear · can · patient · swing · arm · lash

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. can — a tin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. tear — to rip
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. swing — in golf
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. swing — music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. can — a tin
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. tear — from crying
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. tear — from crying

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