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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. chest — of your body
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kid — to tease
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. kid — child
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. current — electric
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chest — a box
  12. craft — boats
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. current — happening now
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. current — of water
  19. craft — a skill
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. chest — of your body
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. deal — to handle

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