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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. roll — a cake
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. roll — a list
  14. stem — to come from
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mine — for digging
  24. nail — for a hammer

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