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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bound — obliged
  4. file — a document
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. spell — magic
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bound — certain
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. spell — letters
  15. file — a line of people
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. file — a tool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. saw — the tool
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. spell — a short time
  24. jam — a tight spot

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