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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. last — to go on
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. mug — to rob
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. tube — a container
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mug — a cup
  13. saw — the tool
  14. band — a music group
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. mug — a face
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. band — a ring

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