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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. lean — thin
  3. court — for sport
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fine — all right
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. court — of law
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fine — high quality
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. court — of a king
  17. wax — to grow
  18. row — a line
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bark — to shout

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