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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. drill — army training
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fall — the season
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mark — a grade
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. prune — to trim
  10. snap — to click
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. saw — the tool
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. drill — the tool
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mark — a trace

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