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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pound — a weight
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. season — of the year
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wound — an injury

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