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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. can — a tin
  6. fall — the season
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mark — a trace
  11. vault — a safe
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. rock — a stone
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rock — music
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fall — to drop
  21. date — the fruit
  22. can — a tin
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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