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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. mark — a grade
  3. staff — employees
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bear — the animal
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. chest — a box
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mark — a trace
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. staff — employees
  18. jam — in traffic

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