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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. spell — letters
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. board — a committee
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. spell — magic
  10. board — to get on
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rush — hurry
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. chair — a professorship

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