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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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 — to spread on bread
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. present — a gift
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mark — a trace
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. present — the time now
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wake — a trail
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mark — a grade
  21. saw — the tool
  22. present — there
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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