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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. chest — a box
  6. lean — to bend
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. last — finally
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. last — final
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. toast — bread
  16. bear — the animal
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chest — of your body
  20. last — to go on
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lean — thin
  24. chest — of your body

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