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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bank — of a river
  3. hand — help
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. root — of a word
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bank — for money
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pound — a weight
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. root — the cause
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rash — hasty
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. rash — a series
  24. pound — to hit hard

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