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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. last — finally
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mate — a friend
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mate — a partner
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. last — to go on
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. last — final
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. arm — part of the body

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