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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. spring — a coil
  6. clip — a video
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. spring — the season
  9. saw — the tool
  10. track — a path
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. saw — the tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. clip — to cut
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. track — to keep track
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. spring — of water
  20. track — a song
  21. clip — for paper
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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