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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wound — an injury
  6. staff — employees
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. vault — a safe
  12. staff — a stick
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. suit — in cards
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. suit — clothes
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. squash — to crush
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. staff — employees
  23. wound — an injury
  24. suit — to fit

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