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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. clip — for paper
  4. object — to protest
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. foot — a measure
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. content — the amount
  12. clip — to cut
  13. object — a thing
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rush — hurry
  16. clip — a video
  17. object — an aim
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. content — happy
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. jam — in traffic

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