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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. chest — a box
  3. swing — music
  4. staff — a stick
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. staff — employees
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. file — a tool
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. staff — employees
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wake — a trail
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. file — a document
  23. swing — in golf
  24. file — a line of people

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