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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. tear — to rip
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. tear — from crying
  13. row — a line
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rash — a series
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. tear — from crying
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rash — hasty
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. row — to paddle

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