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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. last — to go on
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. last — final
  8. hand — help
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. root — of a plant
  12. hand — in cards
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. firm — decided
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. last — finally
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. firm — steady
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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