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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. spell — a short time
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. sharp — clever
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. chest — a box
  13. spell — letters
  14. suit — in cards
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rash — a series
  18. tear — to rip
  19. spell — magic
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. suit — to fit
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. tear — from crying
  24. suit — clothes

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