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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. root — of a word
  5. fall — to drop
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rest — a break
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rash — a series
  16. root — the cause
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fall — to drop
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rest — what's left

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