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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. craft — boats
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bore — to drill
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. snap — to click
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. band — a music group
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. deal — to handle

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