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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. lie — to recline
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. hand — help
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stem — to come from
  7. drill — the tool
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. game — a match
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. drill — army training
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. game — a kind of play

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