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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. track — a song
  3. mate — a partner
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. key — in music
  7. file — a line of people
  8. track — to keep track
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. key — for a lock
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. file — a tool
  22. track — a path
  23. file — a document
  24. wave — 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