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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. swing — music
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. file — a tool
  6. rush — hurry
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. file — a document
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. file — a line of people
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. content — happy
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fall — the season
  15. swing — in golf
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. swing — to play on
  18. fall — to drop
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fall — to drop
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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