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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fine — all right
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bore — to drill
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bore — to tire
  17. firm — a company
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. prune — to trim

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