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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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. saw — the tool
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mug — a face
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fine — a penalty

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