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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. suit — to fit
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. can — a tin
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. can — to be able to
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. deal — to handle
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. can — a tin
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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