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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. cue — a hint
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. land — ground
  11. dip — to sink
  12. land — to come down
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. plane — a tool
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lean — thin
  17. pass — a permit
  18. lean — to bend
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cue — for pool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. land — a country
  24. plane — an aircraft

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