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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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 — a tight spot
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. file — a tool
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. file — a document
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. season — of the year
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bore — to tire
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bore — to drill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. shower — rain
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. file — a line of people
  23. season — in sport
  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