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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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 — a tight spot
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. race — humankind
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lean — thin
  6. file — a line of people
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. race — the arms race
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. file — a document
  11. rest — what's left
  12. race — a contest
  13. file — a tool
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. saw — the tool
  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