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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cap — a hat
  4. chest — a box
  5. root — of a word
  6. tear — to rip
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cap — a lid
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. chest — of your body
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cap — of ice
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. craft — boats
  21. bass — the fish
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bass — low music
  24. craft — a skill

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