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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. tube — the underground
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. tube — a container
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rash — a series
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rest — what's left
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rash — hasty
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rest — a break
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mine — for digging

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