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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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fine — all right
  4. shower — to wash
  5. row — a line
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. face — part of the head
  10. last — finally
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. last — final
  13. face — to confront
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. last — to go on
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. face — to point toward
  21. shower — rain
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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