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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. foot — a measure
  3. cap — a hat
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lean — to bend
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cap — of ice
  14. land — to come down
  15. snap — to click
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. land — a country
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. land — ground
  21. lean — thin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rock — to move gently

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