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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. snap — to click
  8. suit — in cards
  9. chest — a box
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. suit — to fit
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a ring
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. suit — clothes
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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