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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. face — to confront
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mug — a cup
  5. lean — to bend
  6. present — there
  7. mug — to rob
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. face — to point toward
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. present — a gift
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. lean — thin
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mug — a face
  20. staff — a stick
  21. net — for catching
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. kid — child
  24. present — the time now

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