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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rash — a series
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. charge — a price
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — an illness
  9. fine — all right
  10. cold — not warm
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fine — high quality
  17. charge — in control
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. charge — electricity
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. shower — rain

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