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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. cue — for pool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. staff — employees
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. cue — a signal
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. chair — a leader
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. branch — a division
  22. cue — a hint
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. dip — to sink

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