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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. drill — the tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. march — the month
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bass — low music
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bass — the fish
  11. suit — in cards
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. drill — a practice
  16. tear — to rip
  17. march — the month
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rush — hurry
  21. march — music
  22. drill — army training
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

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