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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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Word bank
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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wound — an injury
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. rest — what's left
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. saw — the tool
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. spell — letters
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. spell — a short time
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wound — an injury
  20. spell — magic
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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