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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. firm — steady
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wake — a trail
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. firm — decided
  15. hand — in cards
  16. firm — a company
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hand — help
  19. dip — to sink
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. roll — a list
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hand — part of the body

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