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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. fall — to drop
  5. key — the most important part
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. key — for a lock
  12. file — a line of people
  13. fall — the season
  14. file — a document
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. key — in music
  17. fall — to drop
  18. file — a tool
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. saw — the tool
  24. jam — a tight spot

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