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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wind — moving air
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wind — moving air
  16. roll — a list
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. roll — a cake

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