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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. key — in music
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. key — for a lock
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. sharp — clever
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. key — the most important part
  12. snap — to click
  13. season — in sport
  14. wound — an injury
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. cue — a signal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. cue — for pool
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cue — a hint
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. season — of the year
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wound — an injury

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