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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. lie — to recline
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. band — a ring
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cap — a lid
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bore — to drill
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bore — to tire
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wound — an injury
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. band — a music group
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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