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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rash — a series
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lean — thin
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. hand — help
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rash — hasty
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lean — to bend
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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