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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. rush — hurry
  3. toast — bread
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. drill — the tool
  10. game — a match
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. kid — child
  14. drill — army training
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. drill — a practice
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wave — of the sea

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