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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pit — in a race
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rash — a series
  8. file — a tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rash — hasty
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wound — an injury
  20. file — a document
  21. pit — a hole
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  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