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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. object — an aim
  3. fine — high quality
  4. roll — a list
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. object — a thing
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. snap — to click
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wind — moving air
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. object — to protest
  17. wind — moving air
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. fine — all right
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. roll — a cake
  24. plane — in geometry

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