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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. firm — a company
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. band — a music group
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. present — the time now
  9. firm — decided
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. present — a gift
  18. band — a ring
  19. present — there
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. firm — steady
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. saw — the tool

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