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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bound — obliged
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cold — not warm
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. suit — in cards
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bound — certain
  22. suit — clothes
  23. craft — boats
  24. cold — an illness

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