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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. prune — to trim
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bound — certain
  10. band — a music group
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. band — a ring
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wind — moving air
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bound — tied together
  24. hide — to keep secret

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