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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. face — to confront
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. content — happy
  7. rock — a stone
  8. shower — to wash
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. content — the amount
  17. present — the time now
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. shower — rain
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rock — music

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