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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. club — a group
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. last — final
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lie — to recline
  11. craft — a skill
  12. row — to paddle
  13. last — finally
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. craft — boats
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. club — for golf
  22. last — to go on
  23. club — for dancing
  24. wound — an injury

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