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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rash — hasty
  19. chest — a box
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rash — a series
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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