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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. drill — a practice
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rest — a break
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. squash — the sport
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rush — hurry
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rest — what's left
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — a list
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. drill — army training
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cue — a hint

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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