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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. plane — a tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. present — the time now
  17. wake — a trail
  18. chip — to eat
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. present — there
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. present — a gift

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