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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for golf
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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