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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. swing — to play on
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. tube — a container
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. swing — in golf
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tube — the underground
  10. current — electric
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. swing — music
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. current — of water
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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