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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ground — a position
  5. can — a tin
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. can — to be able to
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rest — a break
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. can — a tin
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. band — a music group
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ground — the earth
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. wound — an injury
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. ground — crushed

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