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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. cell — a phone
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. firm — decided
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. firm — steady
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. key — in music
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. firm — a company
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cap — of ice
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — in biology
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. straw — dry grass

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