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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. sharp — clever
  5. band — a music group
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rash — a series
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. roll — a list
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rash — hasty
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. band — a ring
  20. roll — a cake
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. row — to paddle
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. trunk — of a car

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