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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. ground — the earth
  3. tube — a container
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wind — moving air
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ground — crushed
  16. tube — the underground
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ground — a position
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. toast — bread
  24. wind — moving air

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