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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. last — finally
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. last — to go on
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. march — the month
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mug — a cup
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. object — a thing
  17. spring — of water
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. mug — a face
  21. object — to protest
  22. last — final
  23. object — an aim
  24. mug — to rob

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