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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. current — happening now
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. file — a tool
  17. current — of water
  18. file — a document
  19. spring — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. file — a line of people
  23. spring — the season
  24. coach — a trainer

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