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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wind — moving air
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. wind — moving air
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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