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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. tear — to rip
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chest — a box
  12. rule — a law
  13. chest — of your body
  14. swing — to play on
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pound — a weight
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rule — government
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rule — to rule out

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