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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. race — humankind
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. game — wild animals
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fine — all right
  11. date — the fruit
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. race — the arms race
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. race — a contest
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. game — a match
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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