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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. snap — to click
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mine — for digging
  7. stock — shares
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pop — soda
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pop — to visit
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pop — music
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. tube — a container

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