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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. root — the cause
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bass — the fish
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. wake — a trail
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bass — low music
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. root — of a word
  21. bat — the animal
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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