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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. staff — employees
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chest — a box
  8. cold — not warm
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. staff — employees
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. staff — a stick
  14. chest — of your body
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cold — an illness
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chest — of your 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