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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mug — to rob
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. date — the fruit
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pop — soda
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pop — to visit
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wound — an injury
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mug — a face
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pop — music
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. chest — a box

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