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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cap — a hat
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. chest — a box
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. key — the most important part
  10. chest — of your body
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cap — a lid
  14. row — to paddle
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. chest — of your body
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cap — of ice
  19. suit — in cards
  20. row — a line
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rush — hurry

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